Kejriwal’s Legal Battle
- The Supreme Court is set to hear Kejriwal’s petition challenging his arrest and remand by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the Delhi excise policy case. 45
- Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21 after the Delhi High Court refused to grant him protection from coercive action. He is currently in judicial custody until April 23.
- In his petition, Kejriwal has argued that his arrest constitutes an “unprecedented assault on the tenets of democracy” based on “free and fair elections” and “federalism”.
Allegations and Investigations
- The ED has accused Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and its ministers of accepting ₹1 billion ($12 million) in bribes related to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy.
- Kejriwal’s deputy Manish Sisodia and minister Satyendar Jain are already in jail over corruption allegations, putting the AAP government under pressure.
- The BJP has demanded Kejriwal’s resignation, while the AAP has called his arrest “illegal” and accused the Centre of “retributive harassment”.
Political Implications
- With two of its top leaders jailed, the AAP faces a major challenge as it gears up for the 2024 general elections, where it aims to emerge as a key opposition force against the ruling BJP. 3
- The AAP has also urged the opposition INDIA alliance to come up with a common minimum program, as it seeks to present a united front against the BJP.
So in summary, Kejriwal’s arrest and ongoing legal battle over the excise policy case has become a major political flashpoint, with significant implications for the AAP and the broader opposition landscape ahead of the 2024 polls. Raghav Chadha, a leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), was also detained or arrested along with other AAP leaders during protests against the arrest of party chief Arvind Kejriwal.Specifically, the key details are:
- According to the NDTV report2, several AAP leaders including MPs Raghav Chadha and Sanjay Singh were detained by the Delhi Police for protesting near the CBI office where Kejriwal was being questioned.
- , Raghav Chadha is seen criticizing Kejriwal’s arrest, saying “Arvind Kejriwal is not the name of a person, it is the name of an idea, it is the name of an ideology. You can definitely arrest the body of Arvind Kejriwal but you cannot arrest his thoughts.”
- The Economic Times article5 also mentions that AAP leaders like Atishi and Raghav Chadha may be arrested soon by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the Delhi excise policy case.
Raghav Chadha, a prominent AAP leader, was indeed detained or arrested along with other party members in protests against Kejriwal’s own arrest in the ongoing investigations. The reports suggest Chadha and others may face further arrests in the future as well.
