Arvind Kejriwal withdraws plea against ED arrest in Supreme Court
What's the story
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has withdrawn his petition from the Supreme Court against his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Senior attorney Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Kejriwal, informed the court that the AAP supremo is abandoning the plea since it clashes with the remand. Kejriwal was arrested on Thursday night after he skipped the ninth ED summons, and the apex court refused to grant him interim protection from arrest. Following the arrest, he approached the SC, challenging the move.
Context
Why does this story matter?
The arrest of Kejriwal—the face of the Aam Aadmi Party—comes just days before the Lok Sabha elections. The AAP, aiming to widen its influence, has allied with the Congress to contest against the Bharatiya Janata Party in Delhi, Haryana, and Gujarat. With other senior leaders like Sanjay Singh and Manish Sisodia in jail, the party is grappling with a leadership vacuum which could potentially impact its prospects in the 2024 elections.
Lower court
Kejriwal expected to approach a lower court
While withdrawing the petition, Singhvi told the Supreme Court that Kejriwal will "fight the remand and then come back to your lordships." Kejriwal is expected to approach a lower court in accordance with protocol, as per media reports. The ED, on the other hand, is likely to present the AAP leader in a Delhi court on Friday to seek remand.
3rd leader
Kejriwal is 3rd senior AAP leader to be arrested
Notably, Kejriwal is the third high-profile AAP leader to be arrested, after Singh and Sisodia. To recall, Sisodia was arrested on February 26 last year after an eight-hour grilling by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) over alleged irregularities in the Delhi excise policy. The ED arrested Singh in October 2023 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for his alleged role in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped policy, which benefited certain liquor manufacturers and businessmen.
Reason
What are the allegations against Kejriwal?
In a press note released on Monday, the ED called Kejriwal a "conspirator" in the case. According to the ED, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha allegedly conspired with Kejriwal, Sisodia, and Singh while framing the now-scrapped liquor policy case. The alleged conspiracy involved making a policy that would benefit a liquor lobby in southern India, dubbed the "South Lobby" by the ED. In return, the "South Lobby" gave the AAP Rs. 100 crore.
Reactions
Reactions from opposition and BJP to Kejriwal's arrest
Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has offered his support to Kejriwal's family and plans to meet them soon. BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa, however, described Kejriwal's detention as a "victory of truth," while BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad asserted that the detention was necessary to combat corruption. Despite the arrest, the AAP confirmed that Kejriwal will continue his role as chief minister of Delhi.