The Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) late-night arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has drawn political criticism from Kerala’s ruling front and Opposition.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said those who dread the process of democracy had orchestrated the arrest on the cusp of the Lok Sabha (LS) elections. They were attempting to stifle democracy and squash dissent using arrest as a political tool.
Mr. Vijayan posted on X (formerly Twitter): “The arrest of Delhi Chief Minister @ArvindKejriwal is outright vicious and part of a callous plot to silence all Opposition voices just ahead of the general elections. This exposes the cowardice of those who fear the democratic process and calls for collective action to resist abuse of power.”
Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan stated: “We, the citizens, have to be extra vigilant, on the front foot, and defend our democracy and Constitution from the devilish powers.”
Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Shashi Tharoor, MP, also condemned Mr. Kejriwal’s detention. Mr. Tharoor posted on X (formerly Twitter): Shocked by the news of the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister @ArvindKejriwal. Coming hard on the heels of the crippling freeze on @INCIndia’s bank accounts, it is clear that a systematic effort is on to subvert Indian democracy during our general elections. If a model code of conduct exists to prevent the government from taking decisions that could favour the ruling party, why would a similar code not apply to government departments like the I-T and ED, whose actions directly interfere with the functioning of democracy? It is clear that the Opposition in key places will go into the elections with its hands& feet tied, and on a playing field that is far from level. I would urge the Supreme Court to take suo motu notice of this betrayal of the democratic principles embedded in the basic structure of the Constitution. I am not saying that wrongdoing, if any, should not be investigated. But acting now seems clearly election-related. If I-T and ED could take so long to investigate both these issues, why could they not wait two months more for the elections to be over?
