Dozens of Indian opposition members arrested after leader's detention
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Protests erupted across several Indian states in support of AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal amid dozens of arrests.
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Supporters of Aam Admi Party, hold placards and shout slogans during a protest against the arrest of their party leader Arvind Kejriwal, in Hyderabad, India, Friday, March 22, 2024. (AP)
Weeks before India's general elections, dozens of members of the opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) were arrested in New Delhi, and scattered protests were launched elsewhere across India today against the arrest of AAP's top leader for graft.
The chief minister of the national capital territory of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal, an important leader for India's opposition, was arrested on March 21 by India's financial crime agency due to graft allegations related to Delhi's liquor policy.
Kejriwal's lawyers had petitioned the Supreme Court against his detention but took it back today announcing they would fight it in the city court first.
It is noteworthy that all the main leaders of Kejriwal's party are also in jail due to the liquor case.
Police stopped AAP members, including some ministers in the Delhi city government, and taken away in buses as they cried out slogans and attempted to rally toward the city court where Kejriwal is expected to be presented.
AAP leader and Delhi finance minister Atishi Marlena claims that Kejriwal has been arrested to prevent him from campaigning in the general elections "This is a way to steal elections."
Protests in several Indian states
AAP supporters also protested in another state dominated by the party, the northern state of Punjab, as they arranged sit-ins, shouted slogans, and raised placards that read "I am also Kejriwal".
"They can jail Kejriwal but they can't jail his thoughts," one AAP supporter informed the TV channel India Today.
The eastern state of Odisha, the western state of Gujarat, and Srinagar, the summer capital of the federal territory of Jammu and Kashmir, also witnessed protests by AAP supporters.
Referencing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), AAP's convener Nishikanta Mohapatra informed reporters that "BJP wants to distract people’s attention from their corrupt practices."
"BJP knows that an honest leader like Arvind Kejriwal is capable of defeating them. This is why they arrested him," Mohapatra added.
Why was Kejriwal arrested?
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is looking into claims that a liquor policy implemented by the Delhi government in 2022, which halted its control over the sale of liquor, provided excessive advantages to private retailers.
The policy was subsequently removed, and the AAP government has claimed that no evidence of misconduct has been discovered in the investigation.
The INDIA bloc, formed of 27 members including AAP, has denied the graft investigations against several opposition leaders, labeling it as a politically-driven smear campaign by the BJP as it controls the government and ED.
However, the federal government and BJP rejected any political maneuvering claims and said that law enforcement agencies are doing their job.
Opposition leaders have denounced Kejriwal's arrest and accused Modi of attempting to tighten and hinder the opposition ahead of the elections.
Indian opposition party accuses Modi of depriving it of election funds
On March 21, the opposition in India stated that the government's action of freezing its bank accounts has deprived it of funds to compete against the well-financed ruling party in the upcoming April 19 lengthy general elections, where almost one billion and more Indian citizens are eligible for voting.
"Our entire financial identity has been erased," said Indian National Congress party member Rahul Gandhi, 53, whose family has dominated national politics since independence.
"We have no money to campaign, we cannot support our candidates. Our ability to fight elections has been damaged," he added.
Last February, Indian authorities froze several of the party's accounts for the alleged late filing of tax returns.
