Rallying behind the Aam Aadmi Party, the Opposition INDIA bloc will hold a public event at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan on March 31 to protest against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest. The rally is to “safeguard the country’s interests and democracy”, the Delhi leadership of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress announced at a joint press conference in the capital on Sunday.
Mr. Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) at his official residence on Thursday in connection with a money-laundering case linked to a scrapped excise policy. On Friday, a Delhi court remanded the AAP national convenor to the Central agency’s custody till March 28.
The Opposition has accused the Union government of misusing Central law enforcement agencies against their leaders, crippling their campaign for the upcoming general election which begins in less than a month and leaving them with an uneven playing field. A delegation of top Opposition leaders met the Election Commission of India to flag these concerns on Friday, a day after Mr. Kejriwal’s arrest.
‘Democracy in danger’
“We will hold a ‘maha rally’ at Ramlila Maidan on March 31 against what is happening in the country. The top leadership of the INDIA bloc will participate in the event,” said Gopal Rai, the AAP’s Delhi convenor, who shared the stage with fellow Delhi Ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj, as well as Delhi Congress president Arvinder Singh Lovely and other senior leaders, all seated beneeath a tricolour banner of the INDIA bloc. “Democracy and the country are in danger. All INDIA bloc parties will take part in this ‘maha rally’ to safeguard the country’s interests and democracy,” Mr. Rai added.
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“The bank accounts of the oldest party of the country were sealed so that they could not even campaign for the Lok Sabha elections,” he said, referring to the Income Tax department’s action against the Congress.
The AAP has also alleged that their headquarters at Deendayal Upadhyay Marg and Mr. Kejriwal’s residence were all blockaded by the Delhi Police. “They turned Delhi into a fortress. Elected MLAs, Ministers were detained when they were protesting. Kejriwal’s family was placed under house arrest. They sealed our party office. Yesterday [Saturday], at Shaheedi Park, they behaved with us as if we were criminals,” Mr. Rai charged.
Aurobindo Pharma allegations
The AAP and the other Opposition parties have questioned the ED’s action against Mr. Kejriwal, claiming that no money trail has been found in the excise policy case despite a two-year-long investigation. “However, a ₹60 crore money trail has been found. They arrested Sarath Reddy [director of Aurobindo Pharma] in the excise policy case but he was released on the condition that he give a statement against Kejriwal and donate ₹60 crore to the BJP through electoral bonds,” Mr. Rai said.
Mr. Reddy was arrested by the Central agency last November in connection with the excise policy case. Recent data released by the State Bank of India shows that Aurobindo Pharma had donated ₹60 crore to the BJP via electoral bonds. No comments were available from Mr. Reddy or Aurobindo Pharma regarding the AAP’s charges. There was no immediate reaction to the allegations from the BJP either.
