Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday night in an excise policy-linked money laundering case, officials said. The arrest, the first of a sitting chief minister, came hours after the Delhi High Court refused to grant protection to Kejriwal from any coercive action by the agency.
Commenting on the possibilities, AAP leader and Delhi Finance Minister Atishi Marlena told ANI, “We have received news that the ED has arrested Arvind Kejriwal... We have always said that Arvind Kejriwal will run the govt 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.”
Earlier, Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel also had said that Arvind Kejriwal will run the Delhi government "from jail" if arrested.
Ram Niwas Goel confirmed that CM Kejriwal will not resign. “The scale of force being deployed at CM's residence shows that ED has come to arrest the Chief minister. If the court has agreed to hear the case, why is ED so restless. Manish Sisodia was also arrested without any proof by the agency. It may be a small setback but the party will emerge stronger. The party and all MLAs have decided that CM Kejriwal will not resign after the arrest. The government will be run from the jail," Ram Niwas Goel had said.
ALSO READ: Arvind Kejriwal Raids News LIVE Updates
AAP MLA Sanjeev Jha, who was present outside the CM's residence, said, "We are waiting for the next step of the BJP govt and what the ED does today. People have given the mandate to Arvind Kejriwal to run the govt and he will continue to do so. Even if Arvind Kejriwal will be jailed, 'Sarkar Jail Se Chalegi'."
Expecting a ruckus after Kejriwal's arrest, Section 144 has been imposed outside his house and the ED office in Delhi.
A 12-member team from the ED is questioning the Delhi CM in the Delhi excise policy case.
Earlier in the day, the Delhi High Court refused to grant Arvind Kejriwal interim protection from arrest by the ED in connection with the liquor policy case.
With agency inputs.
Catch all the Business News, Politics news,Breaking NewsEvents andLatest News Updates on Live Mint. Download TheMint News App to get Daily Market Updates.