Mr. changed the policy of licensing liquor shops in Delhi. The central agency is probing allegations that Kejriwal and some ministers and leaders took bribes from liquor dealers. Mr. in this case. Kejriwal's party's second-highest leader and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has been in jail for over a year. Party MP Sanjay Singh was arrested in October last year in the same case.
Recently, former Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's daughter K Kavita was also arrested. Several liquor merchants, leaders, ministers and some of their close aides are also in jail.
Mr. in that case related to Delhi's excise policy. Kejriwal was summoned nine times for questioning by the Enforcement Directorate or ED, the probe agency of the Union Finance Ministry. The Chief Minister of Delhi has never faced cross-examination. But another central agency CBI once interrogated him.
Kejriwal is the 'main conspirator'?
The ED has said in a press release that Arvind Kejriwal is the 'main conspirator' in the case. K Kavita, leader of Bharat Rashtra Samithi, the ruling party of South Indian state of Telangana and daughter of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. The ED said that Kejriwal and AAP leaders conspired with Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh.
The alleged conspiracy led to a policy that benefited a liquor lobby in South India, which the ED called the "South Lobby". The ED said the 'South Lobby' would pay Rs 100 crore to the Aam Aadmi Party in return for favors. Some of the accused and witnesses testified. Mr. Kejriwal's name came up, the ED said in its press statement.
What was Delhi's new excise policy?
The Arvind Kejriwal government introduced a new excise policy in the national capital in November 2021. Under that policy, the government withdrew from the sale of liquor and allowed private licensees to operate liquor shops. The government said that the move was taken to prevent black market, increase government revenue and overall benefit to consumers. Under the policy, liquor shops could be kept open till midnight and various discounts were offered in shops. Liquor sales skyrocketed under the new policy and Delhi government revenue rose by 27 percent.
But the BJP has opposed the new excise policy, alleging that the UP government has allowed liquor shops to open in residential areas and is promoting 'liquor culture' in the capital.
Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar identified a serious irregularity in the new excise policy in July 2022. His report accused liquor licensees of giving 'unfair advantage'.
The official also highlighted the concession of Tk 144 crore on liquor license fee during the Covid pandemic. Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena recommended a CBI probe into the incident based on the Chief Secretary's report.
After that, the BJP launched a fierce political attack on the AAP-led government. The allegations were rejected by the ruling party in Delhi. However, the Delhi government withdrew the new excise policy after the controversy. As a result, more than 400 newly opened shops closed down. The sale of liquor came back under government control until the new policy came into effect.
Not interim relief: Court order
The ED is planning to arrest him by sending repeated summons, Mr. Kejriwal. The court rejected that application. Then the ED officers reached the Chief Minister's official residence with a search warrant at night.
A large police force was deployed in front of his house. Even though he is the Chief Minister, the Delhi Police is controlled by Union Home Minister Amit Shah's office. Seeing the arrival of ED officials and the deployment of large forces in front of the Chief Minister's residence, Mr. Leaders of Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party suspected that the ED might have come up with a plan to arrest their party leader. ED officials reached the official residence of the Chief Minister at around nine o'clock at night and Mr. They left with Kejriwal. Then Mr. Rammanohar Lohia Hospital in Delhi health check. Kejriwal is expected to be taken to the ED headquarters.
First Chief Minister who was arrested:
Arvind Kejriwal is the first sitting Chief Minister of India to be arrested.
Earlier, the former chief minister of undivided Bihar, Lalu Prasad Yadav, was arrested on charges of animal fodder scam, but a day before that, he himself resigned and installed his wife Rabri Devi as the chief minister.
Recently the former Chief Minister of Jharkhand Hemant Soren has also been arrested by the central agency. But shortly before his arrest, he submitted his resignation letter to the governor.
Now even after the arrest of the Delhi Chief Minister, his party AAP is saying that Arvind Kejriwal was, is and will remain the Chief Minister of Delhi.
Party leader and minister Atishi told the media, “Arvindji will run the government from jail if necessary. He was the Chief Minister before, he is still, he will be in the future as well.”
A large number of party supporters appeared in front of the Chief Minister's residence. Aam Aadmi Party or AAP leader Atishi told the media that party lawyers are trying to apply to the Supreme Court at night, so that Mr. Kejriwal's arrest can be dismissed. The lawyers also visited the Supreme Court Registrar's house. However, the news that the hearing could be held at night was not received even till midnight.
Almost all non-BJP parties in India, including the Congress, have reacted strongly against the Delhi Chief Minister's arrest.
Their main point is that the arrest of an opposition chief minister just before the Lok Sabha elections is actually a political ploy by the BJP. The BJP has demanded the resignation of the Delhi Chief Minister after he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a case of financial manipulation related to the excise policy.
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdev told reporters, "Today every citizen of Delhi is satisfied that the Chief Minister has finally been arrested on corruption charges."
He further said, “Arvind Kejriwal's arrest means the defeat of corruption. He should resign immediately.”
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