Arvind Kejriwal's Arrest: AAP Optimistic For Relief From SC After Facing Setback In Delhi HC

NEW DELHI: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal intends to appeal his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to the Supreme Court after the Delhi High Court refused to provide relief on Tuesday. Senior AAP leader and Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj informed about the move during a press conference following the HC's decision. He mentioned that the party is confident that the Supreme Court will offer Kejriwal similar relief as it did with the recent bail granted to AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh. The party also reiterated its belief that the excise policy case is mere a political conspiracy intended to weaken the party. 

"We respect the institution of the high court, yet we respectfully disagree with its ruling and intend to appeal against it in the Supreme Court," Bharadwaj said during the press meet. He asserted that both the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) have been unsuccessful in recovering any amount of the alleged illegal funds mentioned in the case, not even a single rupee. 

ED Intimidated Witnesses: Saurabh Bhardwaj 

He further said that the entire matter was not related to money laundering but rather it is the biggest political conspiracy in the country. According to him, it was a conspiracy aimed at crushing and eliminating Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and the AAP governments in Delhi and Punjab. He mentioned that it had been repeatedly noted in court records that witnesses faced pressure, including intimidation, threats, and coercion to alter their previous statements and provide testimony desired by the Enforcement Directorate and the Central government agency. 

Bhardwaj added that these were not mere allegations but facts on record. Bhardawaj claimed that the entire case was built on fabricated evidence and false witnesses, asserting that its foundation was fundamentally untrue. 

He alleged that Magunta Reddy, who had testified against Arvind Kejriwal, is contesting elections on an NDA ticket. He further claimed that witnesses had stated before the court that they were coerced into giving statements against Kejriwal. 

HC Rejects Kejriwal’s Bail Plea 

Earlier today, the Delhi High Court rejected Kejriwal's plea contesting his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case linked to the purported excise scam, stating that there was no violation of legal provisions. 

LS Polls May Pose Challenge For AAP 

As the Lok Sabha elections draw nearer, the recent decision by the high court could be seen as a setback for AAP, especially as they try to regroup without their leader.  

About two weeks before his arrest on March 21, Kejriwal had kicked off AAP's Lok Sabha campaign in Delhi with the slogan "Delhi will prosper with Kejriwal in Parliament (Sansad Mein Bhi Kejriwal toh Dilli hogi aur khushhal)." However, the party has now shifted its strategy, introducing a new slogan "Answer to Jail is through Votes (Jail Ka Jawab, Vote Se)," hoping to garner electoral support through what they call a "sympathy wave" following the chief minister's arrest.  

AAP is contesting 22 seats in the Lok Sabha elections across several states, and Kejriwal was supposed to campaign for the party's candidates. In his absence, other party leaders like Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, and Delhi ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj will have to take charge. 

The role of Arvind Kejriwal's wife, Sunita Kejriwal, in the party's electioneering remains largely undisclosed, despite her attendance at a INDI-Alliance rally on March 31.