LDF and UDF term SC’s interim bail for Kejriwal a setback to BJP

The ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) have portrayed the interim bail granted by the Supreme Court to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday as a severe setback to the BJP-led Central government’s subversion of Central agencies to target political rivals.

CM’s FB post

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in a Facebook (FB) post, stated the court’s decision was a setback to the BJP, which calculated that it could hang on to power by jailing rivals without trial and on unproven charges. Mr. Kejriwal’s release would bolster the national campaign against BJP’s authoritarian agenda. The BJP had incarcerated Mr. Kejriwal on dubious corruption and money laundering charges to remove him from the Lok Sabha election campaign scene.

CPI(M) State secretary M.V. Govindan said the verdict had placed an interim check on the BJP’s misuse of power to jail rivals and silence critics. Mr. Modi had lowered the stature of his high o‰ce by using law enforcement agencies to target critics, jail rivals, suborn the media, and nobble opponents into defecting to the BJP. “The court has temporarily hobbled the march of fascism. It has upheld the spirit of democracy,” he said.

Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan said the verdict freeing Mr. Kejriwal for campaigning was a slap in the face of the BJP and also condemned the politics of vendetta and witch-hunt pursued by the Modi government. Mr. Kejriwal’s release would catalyse the INDIA bloc campaign against the BJP’s fascist regime

Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president K. Sudhakaran said the court decision was a severe blow for the BJP government and its lickspittles in the Enforcement Directorate.