New Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi and a prominent opposition figure, has been sent to jail until April 15 in a liquor graft case, local media reported on Monday. This development comes less than three weeks before India begins voting in national elections.
Kejriwal, associated with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), was arrested by India’s financial crime-fighting agency in connection with corruption allegations related to the city’s liquor policy. Initially remanded to the agency’s custody until April 1, Kejriwal’s legal team has condemned his arrest as “fabricated” and “politically motivated,” while Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has denied any interference.
During Monday’s court proceedings, the agency’s lawyers accused Kejriwal of being “non-cooperative” and providing “evasive replies.” Consequently, they requested the court to remand him to judicial custody for 15 days, according to news website Live Law.
Kejriwal, on his way to court, attributed his arrest to Modi, stating, “What the prime minister is doing is not good for the country.” The arrest of Kejriwal follows similar actions against other senior AAP leaders in the same graft case. The move has sparked protests in the capital and the northern state of Punjab, both governed by AAP.
The decision of the court comes after the INDIA bloc, a coalition of 27 opposition parties, rallied in New Delhi to protest against Kejriwal’s arrest, accusing Modi of electoral manipulation.
This incident is part of a broader trend where several opposition parties, including the Congress party, claim to face politically motivated actions from federal agencies, such as large income tax demands, allegedly aimed at crippling them financially before the elections.
The international community has also weighed in, with the U.S. and Germany urging a “fair” and “impartial” trial for Kejriwal. However, New Delhi has strongly objected to this interference, asserting its sovereignty over internal affairs.