Kejriwal's Arrest 'Blot On Democracy': Oppn Parties In J&K

SRINAGAR: Opposition parties in Jammu and Kashmir, including the PDP and the NC, on Friday described Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's arrest as a "blot on democracy" and said it will "dent" the country's image across the world.

The BJP, however, termed as "right" the decision of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to arrest the Aam Aam Party (AAP) national convener in the Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case.

"This is the right decision. Whether a person is a chief minister or not. The ED had summoned him nine times. The high court rejected his bail application yesterday. It has been proven that he is involved in the scam," BJP J-K general secretary (organisation) Ashok Koul said.

National Conference (NC) vice president and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah asserted that his party stands with Kejriwal and the AAP, and said this arrest shows the "remarkable degree of nervousness" in the ruling party -- the BJP which is in power at the Centre.

"'Aisi Taisi Democracy'. For all the talk of 400+ seats, the ruling dispensation is displaying a remarkable degree of nervousness. Having a sitting opposition chief minister arrested by a pliable central agency within days of the general elections being announced is a blot on democracy," Abdullah said in a post on X.

Later, speaking to reporters here, he claimed that Kejriwal's arrest was clearly linked to the elections.

"Within days of the EC (Election Commission) announcing the dates for the Lok Sabha polls, you see that the sitting chief minister and an important part of the opposition alliance has been arbitrarily arrested by the ED," he said.

The AAP, the NC and the People's

Democratic Party (PDP) are members of the INDIA bloc, an alliance of some opposition parties to counter the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls. The Congress, the DMK, the TMC and the JMM the Samajwadi Party are also its constituents.

PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, who is also a former chief minister of J-K, said that "the arbitrary arrest of yet another chief minister by ED reeks of political vendetta and growing authoritarianism".

"This cowardly act has exposed fears of the ruling party now resorting to desperate measures by manipulating elections even before they are held. History has shown that tyranny never prevails in the face of unified resistance. We will not be intimidated," she said on X.

Former Jharkhand chief minister and JMM leader Hemant Soren was also arrested by the ED in January in a money laundering case after he resigned from his post

The NC leader said Kejriwal is not the first opposition leader to face ED action.

"Some weeks ago, the sitting