The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) announced plans to encircle the Prime Minister’s residence on March 26 in protest of the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, as stated by the party’s leader, Gopal Rai, on Friday.
Rai informed ANI that the party would forgo Holi celebrations this year and instead focus on demonstrating against Kejriwal’s arrest.
“People across the country have taken to the streets against this arrest… Tomorrow our ministers, councilors, officials, INDIA bloc leaders all will reach Shaheedi Park at 10 o’clock tomorrow to protest against this dictatorship…This year the Holi programme won’t take place. On 25 March we will go to people and tell them what is happening in the country… On 26 March whole of Delhi will gherao PM’s residence to mark a protest against Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest,” the Delhi Minister stated.
Rai also mentioned that the INDIA alliance leaders met with the Election Commission to address the issue of Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest and the alleged targeting of opposition leaders ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
Following the meeting with the Election Commission, Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi remarked, “Almost every opposition party is here. This incident happened late at night (arrest of Delhi CM). We have a detailed discussion with the election commission.”
The ED detained Kejriwal on Thursday night in connection with the Delhi Excise Policy case, which is linked to a money laundering investigation. The case involves alleged irregularities and money laundering in formulating and implementing the Delhi excise policy in 2022, which was later annulled.
In a letter submitted to the poll body by the INDIA alliance on Friday, it was asserted that “arrests of individuals holding Constitutional posts are clearly intended to have a stifling and deleterious effect on the democratic functioning of the affairs of their respective states, as well as the parties themselves”.
