Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Wednesday contested that his arrest and remand by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case related to the now-scrapped excise policy ‘impinges’ upon the basic structure of the Constitution.
“A sitting CM was arrested on the cusp of elections when the Model Code of Conduct is in place. If you do anything to make a level playing field uneven you are impinging on the basic structure of the Constitution. This arrest is impinging on the level playing field,” said senior advocate AM Singhvi, who was appearing for Kejriwal in the Delhi High Court.
“You have to show me necessity of arrest,” Singhvi added.
He also said that Kejriwal’s arrest was meant to “disable” him and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). “They say I have not cooperated. Non cooperation is one of the most abused phrases in the recent past since ED has been active. Can you say I will arrest you because (you are) exercising my right against self incrimination?” Singhvi said.
The ED has sought three weeks to file a reply to Kejriwal’s plea, PTI reported. For interim relief as well, appropriate time should be given to respond, the agency has said. However, Singhvi alleged that the request to file response was a “delay tactic”, and pointed out several “glaring issues” in the AAP chief’s arrest.
Kejriwal was arrested on March 21, hours after the high court refused to grant him interim protection “at this stage” from coercive action. On March 22, he was remanded to ED’s custody till March 28 after the agency told a Delhi court that he was the “kingpin and key conspirator of the Delhi excise scam”. AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh are already in judicial custody in the matter.
He has issued two “directions” from jail in the past week, prompting the BJP to lodge a complaint with the Delhi Lt Governor V K Saxena against Kejriwal over his “unauthorised use of power and authority”.
The AAP, on its part, has alleged that the BJP was trying to “divert attention” from the “money trail” revealed after details of donations to political parties through electoral bonds were made public.
Aisha Patel is a dedicated Indian correspondent with a deep understanding of the nation’s diverse affairs. With a background in Indian culture, politics, and current events, she provides in-depth analysis and timely reporting on domestic issues within India.
