INDIA bloc protests at Shaheedi Park against arrest of Arvind Kejriwal

The leaders and workers of the INDIA bloc, who gathered at Shaheedi Park, criticized the BJP-led central government and raised slogans against it .

Raising slogans "Arvind tum sangharsh karo, hum tumhare sath hain" and "tyranny won't last," hundreds of INDIA bloc leaders and workers on Saturday came

Speaking to ANI, Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot said that Arvind Kejriwal himself is an ideology, and he'll come out of jail "without stains."

"Everyone in the country is saying that the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal after the implementation of the code of conduct is wrong. He'll come out of jail without stains. He was and will remain innocent. Kejriwal himself is an ideology," he said.

Joining in the protest Delhi Minister Atishi alleged that the central government was a dictorship," Today the whole nation is watching the death of democracy that is happening. One by one attacks are happening on the opposition. First the sitting CM Hemant Soren was arrested, and then Arvind Kejriwal was arrested, if one by one opposition leaders are put in jail, what is the meaning of the election? This is dictatorship..."

Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj thanked the INDIA bloc for standing with Kejriwal "We thank all the leaders of Congress, Left and everyone who are standing with INDIA alliance and Arvind Kejriwal in this fight for democracy, to protect the election"

The AAP has planneed to "gherao" the prime minister's residence on March 26 to register its protest against Kejriwal's arrest by the ED, the party's leader Gopal Rai said on Friday.

Arvind Kejriwal was on Friday remanded to the custody of the Enforcement Directorate for seven days, i.e., till March 28, a day after he was arrested by the probe agency in connection with the Delhi Excise Policy case linked to a money laundering case.

In its arguments before the court, the ED alleged that the CM of Delhi is the key conspirator and kingpin in demanding kickbacks from businessmen. The agency further claimed that Kejriwal was directly involved in the formation of the Excise policy. The ED claimed that Vijay Nair, who was the media in charge of AAP, was working for Delhi CM Kejriwal.

Nair, who the agency said lives adjacent to the residence of Kejriwal, acted as a middleman between the AAP and the South group. The ED further claimed that the proceeds of crime are not only Rs 100 crore but profits made by bribe givers were also proceeds of crime. The agency alleged that it had traced Hawala trails of Rs 45 crore that was used in the Goa Election.

Two senior AAP leaders, Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, are in judicial custody in the excise policy case. Sisodia, who was the then Delhi Deputy Chief Minister, was arrested by the CBI on February 26 following several rounds of questioning. On October 5, ED arrested Sanjay Singh, who is a Rajya Sabha member. (ANI)