The Enforcement Directorate, on Thursday, arrested Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in connection with the excise policy-linked money laundering case.
Kejriwal will be produced before special PMLA court on Friday. The ED will seek his custody for interrogation, the agency said.
Before his arrest, the agency questioned the chief minister at his residence for two hours.
The arrest came hours after the Delhi High Court refused to grant protection to Kejriwal from any coercive action by the agency.
Soon after the high court order, an ED team reached his residence and carried out searches. Subsequently, he was arrested.
Meanwhile, the AAP said Kejriwal will continue to hold his post. “We have received news that ED has arrested Arvind Kejriwal. We have always said that Arvind Kejriwal will run the government from jail. He will remain the CM of Delhi. We have filed a case in the Supreme Court. Our lawyers are reaching SC. We will demand SC have an urgent hearing tonight,” AAP leader and Delhi minister Atishi said.
Strongly condemning the arrest, opposition leader Sharad Pawar said this showcases the depth to which BJP will stoop for power. "'INDIA' stands united against this unconstitutional action against Arvind Kejriwal," he said in a tweet.
AIADMK spokesperson Kovai Sathyan said, "This arrest proves that there is a three-point agenda for the BJP. First, whoever opposes the BJP should contest from behind bars. Second, whoever is opposing BJP will run out of funds and will be unable to use party funds. Third, whoever is out on bail, BJP will not have any hesitation to have an alliance with them.”
The BJP meanwhile, claimed that "truth has won."
"Arvind Kejriwal was continuously making excuses in the liquor policy scam since 2020-21 and the kind of political theatrics he was doing has been put to an end today. Today finally the truth has won and I believe that the conspiracy hatched by Arvind Kejriwal and his government to push the entire youth into alcoholism was bound to result in this. Truth had to prevail and Kejriwal had to be punished for his sins," said Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva.