AAP Ministers Detained During Protest Following Kejriwal’s Arrest

Delhi Ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj were detained on Friday as Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders staged a protest against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) following Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal‘s arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection to an excise policy case.

The AAP protesters were lodged in a police bus as officials asked protesters at the ITO intersection to disperse due to the prohibitory orders under section 144 in the area. Slogans against the BJP-led Central government were raised during the protest.

Police officers set up barricades on the Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg, where both the BJP and AAP headquarters are located, and closed it off for traffic. Additional barricades were placed on the road leading to the BJP office with strict ID checks for entry into the area.

Atishi expressed concerns over the arrests of peaceful protesters, labeling it a “murder of democracy”. She highlighted the safety of the protesting individuals who were detained by Delhi Police, adding that it was unjust to arrest demonstrators standing against false charges.

Following Kejriwal’s arrest in the ED’s money laundering case, the political atmosphere intensified with AAP members showing solidarity through protests. Similar demonstrations occurred in Chennai, as DMK leader Dayanidhi Maran condemned the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal.

The excise policy case centers around alleged corruption and malpractices in the formulation and execution of Delhi government’s excise policy for 2021-22. AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh remain in judicial custody in connection to the case with the ED citing multiple instances of Kejriwal’s involvement in charge sheets.

Kejriwal’s association with formulating the excise policy has stirred controversy with the ED claiming undue benefits to the accused through kickbacks to the AAP. The ED’s course of action has triggered political responses and nationwide protests against the BJP.