Arvind Kejriwal's Arrest Will Give Birth To Mass Movement: Akhilesh Yadav

Samajwadi Party (SP) Chief Akhilesh Yadav lashed out at the BJP after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the Directorate of Enforcement in a money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy, saying that the move against the AAP supremo will lead to a 'mass movement' (jan-andolan).

Mr Yadav, in a post on X, also jabbed the BJP saying that the party fears defeat in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and hence is "trying to keep the Opposition leaders away from the public".

"What will those, who themselves are imprisoned in fear of defeat, accomplish by imprisoning someone else? The BJP knows that it will not come to power again. Overcome with this fear, it wants to remove Opposition leaders from the public eye by any means at the time of elections. The arrest is just an excuse. It will give birth to a new people's revolution," Akhilesh Yadav posted.

Mr Kejriwal was arrested on Thursday by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy, becoming the second chief minister after Hemant Soren to be taken into custody by the central agency in 50 days.

Mr Kejriwal's arrest immediately attracted the Opposition leaders' ire, with top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleging that a "scared dictator wants to create a dead democracy," while Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin said that the BJP government "sinks to despicable depths" after the "unjust targeting of brother" Hemant Soren.

Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien said, "A large number of AAP leaders and workers had gathered at Mr Kejriwal's residence who shouted slogans in favour of the Chief Minister. The election process has begun. And now this! Chiefs of political parties, CMs, political leaders, election agents, workers, every opponent- being harassed & arrested like this. What will be the fate of our precious democracy? LET US ALL SAVE DEMOCRACY FROM IMPENDING DISASTER."

A large number of AAP leaders and workers had gathered at Kejriwal's residence who shouted slogans in favour of the Chief Minister.

His former cabinet colleagues Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain are also presently in judicial custody in money laundering cases. Mr Sisodia was arrested in the money laundering case linked to excise policy. AAP leader Sanjay Singh was also arrested in the case. BRS leader K Kavitha was also arrested in this case last week.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)