INDIA bloc leaders rally behind Kejriwal, question timing of arrest
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest by the Enforcement Directorate has united the antiBJP INDIA coalition that has been struggling to set aside its differences over seatsharing arrangements for the Lok Sabha election.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and his predecessor Rahul Gandhi expressed their outrage without naming Mr. Kejriwal. Mr. Kharge wrote on X that the BJP is trying to weaken the Opposition because though it is making false claims of victory each day, it is scared of the expected results.
Mr. Gandhi, in a similar vein, posted on X: “A scared dictator wants to create a dead democracy. If capturing all the institutions including the media, breaking up parties, extorting money from companies, freezing the accounts of the main opposition party was not enough for the “Asuri Shakti” (demonic power), now the arrest of the elected Chief Ministers has also become a common thing.”
Party general secretary K.C. Venugopal called the arrest a “diversionary tactic” on a day when the full data on poll bonds were released, which he said, would expose the BJP’s “extortion racket”.
Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said the Opposition is going into the election with its “hands and feet tied”.
Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar slammed the “vindictive misuse of Central agencies to target the Opposition”.
Criticising the arrest, DMK chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin posted on X: “Not a single BJP leader faces scrutiny or arrest, laying bare their abuse of power and the decay of democracy. The relentless persecution of Opposition leaders by the BJP govt smacks of a desperate witchhunt”.
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said the latest arrest would only cement people’s desire to defeat the BJP. CPI general secretary D. Raja too called it a desperate action by the government.
In a post on X, Trinamool Congress leader Derek O’Brien asked: “How can we expect fair elections in India if sitting CMs & prominent Opposition leaders are arrested weeks before polls?”