Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday staged a significant protest in Mohali, denouncing the arrest of its national convener Arvind Kejriwal. The party accused the BJP-led Central Government of imprisoning the Delhi Chief Minister without any fault, branding the arrest as “politically motivated”.
Kejriwal was detained by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21 in connection with a money laundering case related to the alleged excise policy scam. Although the Supreme Court granted him interim bail, he remains in jail due to a subsequent arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on related charges.
In a vocal state-level protest, senior AAP leaders and ministers rallied in Mohali, raising slogans against the Central Government and demanding Kejriwal’s immediate release. The protest highlighted the party’s claim that the central agencies were being used as tools for political retribution.
Addressing the gathering, Cabinet Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar expressed outrage, stating, “It is unprecedented that a national party chief and serving chief minister has been jailed without any fault.” He asserted that the charges against Kejriwal were fabricated at the behest of the BJP-led Centre.
Cabinet Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian criticized the use of central agencies like the ED and CBI, describing them as “weapons” employed to target opposition leaders. He emphasized that despite extensive investigations, no substantial evidence had been found against Kejriwal, who he credited with giving a new direction to Indian politics.
Punjab AAP spokesperson Neel Garg reinforced this sentiment, stating, “Everyone knows Kejriwal is an honest politician, but he has been put behind bars under a political conspiracy.” Another Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO decried the BJP-led Centre's “dictatorial” attitude, insisting that Kejriwal was jailed “without any fault”.
Cabinet Minister Balkar Singh joined the chorus, calling the BJP-led NDA government a “dictatorial regime” responsible for filing “false” cases against the AAP leader. He lauded Kejriwal for his dedication to public service, stating, “Kejriwal sacrificed everything to serve the people.”
Despite the ongoing legal battles, AAP leaders remain hopeful. “That day is not far when Kejriwal will come out and lead us again,” declared Harbhajan Singh, echoing the sentiments of many AAP supporters who believe in Kejriwal’s eventual exoneration and return to leadership.
