CPI leader D Raja meets Arvind Kejriwal's family at his residence

In his post on X, D Raja expressed his disapproval of Arvind Kejriwal's arrest.

"A CPI delegation led by myself visited the residence of imprisoned Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and met his wife and daughter to extend our solidarities. CPI National Secretaries Dr Bhalchandra Kango, Rama Krushna Panda and CPI Delhi Secretary Dinesh Chandra Varshaneya accompanied me in expressing our collective disapproval of Arvind Kejriwal's arrest," he said.

"Arvind Kejriwal is a victim of BJP's politics of abusing central agencies like ED & CBI for their own political interests. These attempts to silence the opposition will be defeated by the people," D Raja added.

Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj accused the BJP of bullying other parties.

"It is clear that bullying is going on. There is no law and order. You have stopped us from going to the party office. How the AAP will contest the elections? Under which law does the police have the right to control us? AAP's ministers cannot go to the party office. They cannot even go to their official residence... We have asked for time from the Election Commission. We would want the EC to take action on this matter as a neutral agency" he said.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Chief Minister 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.

The case pertains to alleged irregularities and money laundering in framing and implementing the Delhi excise policy case 2022, which was later scrapped.

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 counsel 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 counsel 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 counsel said that the agency had traced Hawala trails of Rs 45 crore that the agency says was used in the Goa Election. (ANI)