“We strongly stand with AAP”: Arvinder Singh Lovely

Delhi Congress President Arvinder Singh Lovely on Thursday criticized the arrest of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, interpreting it as evidence of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) apprehension towards the forthcoming elections and their resort to tactics like arresting opposition figures and freezing the Congress party’s bank accounts.

Highlighting the pattern of actions taken against opposition leaders, including the seizure of Congress’ financial resources and the arrest of Jharkhand’s Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Lovely condemned the use of governmental agencies for political ends. He asserted, “Congress will not be intimidated by these measures and will continue to fight the elections with vigor. As part of the INDIA alliance, we stand firmly with AAP and extend our full support.”

Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit also lambasted the BJP, questioning the appropriateness of arresting individuals at their homes and linking such actions directly to the election period. Dikshit emphasized the abnormality of conducting raids at night and suggested that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) could have simply summoned Kejriwal for questioning rather than arresting him, deeming the actions as an attack on democratic principles.

In response to Kejriwal’s arrest by the ED over the excise policy case, AAP leader Atishi announced that the party has petitioned the Supreme Court for the arrest’s annulment, seeking an expedited hearing.

Meanwhile, Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva defended the ED’s actions, accusing Kejriwal of evading accountability in the liquor policy scam and engaging in “political theatrics.” Sachdeva expressed satisfaction over the arrest, asserting that it was a necessary outcome to counteract what he described as Kejriwal’s attempt to corrupt the youth with alcoholism.

The BJP leadership has rallied behind the ED’s decision to arrest Kejriwal, framing it as a just resolution in the face of alleged misconduct by the Delhi Chief Minister and his administration in the excise policy scandal.