Kejriwal’s arrest will give birth to mass movement: Akhilesh Yadav

Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Akhilesh Yadav criticized the BJP following the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering case tied to the discontinued Delhi excise policy. Yadav predicts that this action against the AAP leader will catalyze a significant public uprising.

In a statement on X, Yadav accused the BJP of attempting to sideline opposition leaders due to fear of losing the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. He remarked, “The BJP, trapped in its own fear of defeat, is now aiming to obscure opposition figures from public view as the elections approach, using the arrest as a mere pretext. This will inevitably lead to a burgeoning mass movement.”

The arrest of Kejriwal has drawn sharp condemnation from various opposition figures, with Congress’s Rahul Gandhi accusing a “frightened dictator” of trying to undermine democracy, and Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister M.K. Stalin criticizing the BJP for its “abhorrent lows” following the “unfair targeting” of Hemant Soren.

Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien also voiced concern over the pattern of arrests, highlighting the rallying of AAP supporters and leaders around Kejriwal and warning of the potential threat to democracy this pattern poses.

The detention marks Kejriwal as the second chief minister to be apprehended by the ED in a span of 50 days, following Jharkhand’s Hemant Soren. The action has rallied AAP leaders and workers in support of Kejriwal, echoing broader concerns among opposition ranks about the targeting of political figures ahead of elections.

Notably, Kejriwal’s former cabinet members Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain are also in custody over money laundering allegations, alongside AAP’s Sanjay Singh and BRS’s K Kavitha, signaling a tense prelude to the electoral process in India.