Mehbooba Mufti, former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and president of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), strongly criticised the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) detention of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, denouncing it as politically motivated and indicative of the government’s authoritarian inclinations. Mufti argued that these actions betray the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) insecurity and its readiness to employ drastic measures to sway electoral outcomes even before polls commence.
Following an operation at Kejriwal’s residence related to the liquor policy case, the AAP leader was taken into custody, an event that failed to deter AAP members and allies within the INDIA bloc from rallying in support. The BJP, conversely, praised the ED’s decision, asserting the necessity of upholding truth.
AAP leader Atishi announced the party’s intention to challenge Kejriwal’s arrest in the Supreme Court, seeking an immediate hearing, although a special late-night session did not occur.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan criticized the ED’s actions as emblematic of a democratic system under threat, while Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of engaging in authoritarian tactics to undermine democracy. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Congress General Secretary, labeled the arrest as “unconstitutional” and reflective of a new low in Indian politics, detrimental to the Prime Minister and his administration.
Sitaram Yechury of the CPI-M condemned the arrest as well, interpreting it as a sign of the BJP’s desperation in the face of electoral rejection and alleging protection and patronage for opposition leaders who join the BJP.
The incident has sparked widespread condemnation among opposition parties, framing it as an unprecedented assault on democratic norms and institutions, with senior AAP leaders like Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh already in judicial custody in connection with the same case.
