Delhi Cops Prep For Big AAP Protests Against Arvind Kejriwal’s Arrest

Battlelines are drawn after the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by the Enforcement Directorate in the alleged liquor policy scam, with his Aam Aadmi Party calling nationwide protests outside the BJP offices today.

The Supreme Court is likely to take up Mr Kejriwal’s petition against his arrest today, a day after it denied an urgent hearing in his plea against the raids. The probe agency, meanwhile, will produce the Chief Minister in an ED court.

As part of security arrangements, the police have closed all roads leading to the AAP headquarters, currently allowing no cars and only pedestrians on the road. The AAP has summoned all its office-bearers, ministers and councillors at the main office at 10 am.

Water cannons and paramilitary forces have also been deployed on the DDU road, which leads to the BJP headquarters. The ITO Metro station will stay shut during 8 am-6 pm today on the advice of Delhi Police, the Delhi Metro said.

Mr Kejriwal’s arrest, just weeks ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, has unleashed waves of protest by thousands of party workers and condemnation from the Opposition camp. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will visit Mr Kejriwal’s family today, said sources.

Read | Explained: Why Enforcement Directorate Arrested Arvind Kejriwal

The AAP has said that Mr Kejriwal will continue to discharge his chief ministerial duties from jail – a prospect that may create a constitutional crisis, legal experts have said.

Delhi minister Atishi addressed a press conference this morning and called the arrest a “political conspiracy by the BJP”.

“It is the first time that a sitting Chief Minister has been arrested by central government. In the country’s history, it is the first time that after the announcement of the Lok Sabha elections, the national convenor of a national party has been arrested. Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest is BJP’s political conspiracy,” she said.

The Arrest

The Enforcement Directorate, which is investigating a money laundering angle in the alleged liquor policy scam, had called Mr Kejriwal a “conspirator”.

The probe team turned up at Mr Kejriwal’s home last evening with a search warrant after he skipped nine summonses by the central agency. Later in the day, the Delhi High Court refused to grant him protection from arrest.

Read | AAP Says Arvind Kejriwal Will Remain Chief Minister. How Feasible Is That?

The agency arrested him around 9 pm after a search and questioning session and took him to the ED office. His and his wife’s phones were also confiscated and data was transferred from two tablets and a laptop at his home. Mr Kejriwal spent the night in an ED lock-up after a medical check-up from the RML hospital, sources said.

At a post-midnight press conference, AAP called a nationwide protest against the BJP on Friday. In Delhi, the protest will take place outside the BJP headquarters.

Mr Kejriwal’s arrest comes less than a week after BRS leader K Kavitha was taken into custody in the liquor policy case. Mr Kejriwal was named as a conspirator for the first time after Ms Kavitha’s arrest.