Page 57 - Arvind Kejriwal

INDIA bloc to hold maha rally on March 31 to safeguard democracy: Gopal Rai

The opposition INDIA bloc will hold a "maha rally" at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan on March 31 to "safeguard the country's interests and democracy", AAP leader Gopal Rai said on Sunday. The announcement comes after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal (55) was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday from his official residence in connection with an excise policy-linked money-laundering case. A court on Friday sent the AAP national convenor to the central agency's custody till March 28. Addressing a press conference, INDIA bloc allies AAP and Congress announced the rally. "We will hold a 'maha rally' at Ramlila Maidan on March 31 against what is happening in the country. The top leadership of the INDIA bloc will participate in the event," Rai, the AAP's Delhi convenor, said. "Democracy and the country are in danger. All the INDIA-bloc parties will hold this 'maha rally' to safeguard the country's interests and democracy," Rai added. Arvinder Singh Lovely, the Congress' D

Kejriwal's order from custody part of 'script,' says BJP's Manoj Tiwari

Delhi BJP MP Manoj Tiwari on Sunday hit out at the Aam Aadmi party supremo Arvind Kejriwal, calling his instruction from ED custody to the water minister scripted and his arrest a cause of celebration for the people of the city. Tiwari said, "In ED's custody there is a culprit and taking his reference today a script has been written that water and sewer-related facilities in Delhi are disorganised." Tiwari's remarks come after Water Minister Atishi, in a press conference, informed media that she received directions from the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal late Saturday, from ED custody, on running the city government. Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on Thursday from his official residence. A court on Friday sent him to the central agency's custody till March 28. "This (Kejriwal's direction) comes after no one in Delhi came to his support. The public didn't express sorrow at his arrest. In fact, they are celebrating, distributing sweets, and bursting crackers that the man who m

AAP workers protest on ITO foot-over bridge, removed by Delhi Police

Aam Aadmi Party workers on Sunday demonstrated on the ITO foot-over bridge in protest against the arrest of their leader, Arvind Kejriwal. The party workers shouted slogans against the BJP, which rules the Centre, and thus, governs the probe agency Enforcement Directorate which arrested the Delhi Chief Minister on Thursday. The protesters, who hung a banner that read "Main Bhi Kejriwal" from the bridge, were removed from the spot by the Delhi Police. "We removed five to six workers from a foot-over bridge in ITO to maintain law and order," a senior police officer said. Meanwhile, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva also led a protest against Kejriwal, demanding strict punishment against him in the excise policy case, in which he has been arrested. The party workers also burned an effigy of the Aam Aadmi Party leaders.

Delhi CM Kejriwal issues first direction on running govt from ED custody

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has issued his first direction from ED custody on running the city government, AAP sources said on Sunday. Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday from his official residence in connection with an excise policy-linked money-laundering case. A court on Friday sent the AAP national convenor to the central agency's custody till March 28. "He (Kejriwal) has issued his first direction from ED custody. The directions pertain to the city government's Water department. Water Minister Atishi will announce the directions later in the day," the party sources said. The AAP has said Kejriwal will continue as chief minister even if he is sent to jail.

Kejriwal 'invited' ED arrest by not responding to its notices: Himanta

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal effectively invited his own arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) due to his repeated failure to respond to summonses, suggesting that it might have been a tactic to garner political sympathy. Sarma emphasised that when a person disregards nine summonses from the ED, it indicates a deliberate invitation for arrest. He remarked that if Kejriwal had complied with the initial summonses, his arrest might have been avoided. Speaking to reporters at the state BJP headquarters here after a poll-preparedness meeting on Saturday, Sarma said, "If the ED serves someone nine summonses and that person doesn't show up, it is evident that he is inviting his arrest. The ED didn't arrest Kejriwal, he invited the agency to arrest him." The BJP leader cited the examples of politicians such as Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, who appeared before the ED when they were issued summonses, implying that Kejriwal's action

Delhi Police ramps up security arrangement ahead of AAP's protest

Ahead of a planned protest by AAP leaders and workers in the national capital on Sunday, the Delhi Police has ramped up security measures, officials said. This comes after AAP decided to take out a candle march and burn the effigy of the BJP government against the arrest of party supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday. "We got information that workers and leaders of AAP will hold protest. To ensure law and order situation, we have stepped up security in the national capital. We will ensure deployment of paramilitary forces along with Delhi Police personnel. "Senior officers will continue to monitor the entire situation in their districts. Directions have been issued to the SHOs to keep a strict vigil in their area and to inform their senior officers immediately, if they get to know about any protest," a senior police officer said. Heavy personnel deployment and multi-layer barricading have already been put in place on roads lead

AAP calls for citywide protest against arrest of CM Arvind Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in connection with the now-scrapped excise policy case

Mann in Delhi to support Kejriwal while people die in Punjab, says BJP

The BJP on Saturday hit out at Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and said it is "very sad" that he is here to protest the arrest of his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal at a time when the death toll in a hooch tragedy in his state has climbed to 20. The party also targeted AAP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha over his London visit and asked why he had a meeting with British Labour Party MP Preet K Gill, "who openly advocates 'K' separatism". The death toll due to the suspected consumption of spurious liquor in Punjab's Sangrur district has climbed to 20, with six more people succumbing during treatment, officials said on Saturday. Police have made eight arrests so far in connection with the case, they said. Reacting to the climb in the death toll, BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra said, "It is very sad. The BJP is very sensitive towards the plight of the family members of those who died in the incident." "It is also very sad that at a time when Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant M

CM Arvind Kejriwal moves Delhi HC against arrest in excise policy case

The ED had arrested Kejriwal hours after the high court refused to grant him protection from coercive action by the central anti-money laundering agency

Will seek court permission to set up office for Delhi CM in jail: Mann

Aam Aadmi Party leader and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday said that if his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal is sent to jail, they will approach the court seeking permission to set up his office in prison to run his government from there. He also asserted that no one can take the place of Kejriwal in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). "It is not written anywhere that a government cannot run from jail," Mann told PTI videos in an interview when asked about the arrest of the Delhi chief minister and AAP chief by the Enforcement Directorate in an excise policy case and how he will run his government if he is sent to judicial custody. The BJP has demanded the resignation of Kejriwal after he was remanded in ED custody till March 28. "The law says he can work from jail till found guilty. We will seek permission from the Supreme Court, High Court for setting up office in the jail and the government will function," Mann said. He said that no one can take the place of Kejriwal in

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's wife Sunita meets him at ED office

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's wife Sunita Kejriwal on Saturday evening met him at the ED office where he is lodged under custody in connection with the excise policy-linked money laundering case. A special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) had allowed Sunita Kejriwal and Bibhav Kumar (Kejriwal's personal assistant) to meet him every day for half an hour between 6-7 pm, apart from his lawyers. Sunita Kejriwal met her husband at the ED office at A P J Abdul Kalam Road as per the court's order, officials said. Wearing a salwar suit and holding some papers, she was captured by news cameras while exiting the ED office and boarding a car with some staff. Arvind Kejriwal, also the national convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), was arrested by the ED on March 21 under the anti-money laundering law after conducting searches at his official residence in the Civil Lines area of the national capital. Sunita Kejriwal (58), a 1993-batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer of

No urgent listing in Delhi HC of Kejriwal's plea against arrest: Report

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday moved the Delhi High Court challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in the money laundering case linked to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam but the court is unlikely to grant an urgent hearing. According to highly placed court sources, the plea is unlikely to be heard before March 27 as the court is closed for Holi. Sources in his Aam Aadmi Party had said his legal team would request the high court to hear the matter urgently, preferably on Sunday. On Friday, a trial court had remanded him in ED's custody till March 28 "for his detailed and sustained interrogation". In his plea, Kejriwal, who was apprehended by the ED on Friday night, contended that his arrest and remand were illegal and that he was entitled to be released from custody immediately. The ED had arrested Kejriwal hours after the high court refused to grant him protection from coercive action by the central anti-money laundering agency. Kejriwal had approach

Court extends ED custody of Kavitha till Mar 26 in Delhi excise policy case

A court here on Saturday extended the Enforcement Directorate custody of BRS leader K Kavitha, an accused in the Delhi excise policy scam case, till March 26. The federal probe agency has sought a five-day extension of her custody. The ED has alleged that Kavitha, the daughter of former Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao, was a key member of the 'South Group' that has been accused of paying the AAP kickbacks of Rs 100 crore in return for a big share of liquor licences in the national capital. After producing her in court, the ED said that she was confronted with the statements of four people and a forensic report of the data extracted from her phone. The probe agency also told the court that raids were being conducted at the house of her nephew in Hyderabad. BRS leader's counsel filed a bail plea in court. Kavitha, 46, a Telangana Legislative Council member, was arrested by the central probe agency from her residence at Banjara Hills in Hyderabad on March 15.

Highlights: PM Modi, other BJP leaders meet to pick candidates for LS polls

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AAP asks ED to file case against BJP, alleges it received crores in scam

The AAP asked the ED on Saturday to file a case against the BJP, alleging that the saffron party received crores of rupees from an accused in the alleged Delhi excise policy scam through electoral bonds. Addressing a press conference, Delhi minister Atishi asserted that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has not been able to establish a money trail against any Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader despite multiple raids, arrests and two-year-long investigations in the alleged liquor scam. "Two days ago, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was arrested in connection with the alleged liquor scam on the basis of Sarath Reddy's statement. On November 9, 2022, Reddy had said he did not know Kejriwal. After the ED arrested him, he changed his statement, saying he knew Kejriwal," Atishi said. Reddy of Aurobindo Pharma was arrested by the federal agency in November last year in connection with the excise policy case. Atishi alleged that Reddy donated crores of rupees to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJ

I-T dept searches premises linked to AAP's Delhi MLA Gulab Yadav, others

The Income Tax department on Saturday conducted searches against AAP MLA Gulab Singh Yadav and some others in Delhi as part of a tax evasion investigation, official sources said. Yadav (45) is a two-time legislator and represents the Matiala seat in the Delhi Assembly. The premises of the AAP MLA in Delhi's Ghummanheda village and some others are being raided as part of a tax evasion investigation. The tax officials are being escorted by the Delhi Police, the sources said. Some documents have been recovered and certain persons have been questioned, they said.

Kavitha's nephew involved in transfer of illicit funds in liquor scam: ED

In what could further mount trouble for former Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao's family, the Enforcement Directorate on Saturday alleged that a nephew of BRS leader K Kavitha was "involved" in the transfer of illicit funds or the proceeds of crime in the Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case. The central agency informed the special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court of Judge Kaweri Baweja in Delhi that it conducted searches at the premises of the said relative, Meka Sri Saran, on Saturday after his role in this case came to the fore during the questioning of Kavitha over the last week. Kavitha, the 46-year-old MLC daughter of former Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, was arrested by the ED on March 15 and she was produced before the court for extension of her custody on Saturday. The court sent her to agency's custody till March 26. The politician told reporters during her production in court that "this was a fraud and wrong case...we

India summons German envoy to protest comments on Kejriwal's arrest

India on Saturday summoned the German deputy chief of mission here and lodged a strong protest against the country's foreign ministry's remarks on the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The German envoy Georg Enzweiler was summoned by officials in the external affairs ministry and told that the German Foreign Ministry's remarks on Kejriwal's arrest were an interference in India's judicial process and any "biased assumptions" were "most unwarranted", an MEA official said. A German Foreign Ministry spokesperson had "taken note" of Kejriwal's arrest. "We assume and expect that the standards relating to the independence of Judiciary and basic democratic principles will also be applied in this case," the German official had said. "The German deputy chief of mission in New Delhi was summoned today and conveyed India's strong protest on their Foreign Office spokesperson's comments on our internal affairs," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. "We see

AAP office in Delhi 'sealed', matter to be raised with EC, says Atishi

The AAP office in Delhi has been "sealed off" from all sides, senior leader Atishi claimed on Saturday and said the party will report the matter to the Election Commission. In a post on X, Atishi questioned the "sealing" of the party office, saying it is against the "level playing field" promised by the Constitution. "How can access to a national party office be stopped during the Lok Sabha election? This (is) against the 'level playing field' promised in the Indian Constitution. We are seeking time with the Election Commission (EC) to complain against this," the Delhi minister said in her post. Another senior AAP leader and Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that all access to the party office has been closed by the central government. "We will approach EC, the central government has closed all access to AAP head office at ITO, that too in Model Code of Conduct," he said in a post on X. The AAP office at DDU Marg near ITO in central Delhi was also blocked on Friday during a

Kejriwal will be released, start revolution in country: Punjab CM Mann

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is in ED custody in connection with an excise policy-linked money-laundering case, will be released and bring a revolution in the country, his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann said on Saturday. The 55-year-old AAP national convenor was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday from his official residence. He was on Friday produced in court, which sent him to ED custody till March 28. Mann, Delhi ministers Atishi and Kailash Gahlot, and Mayor Shelly Oberoi visited Shaheedi Park on Saturday to commemorate the martyrdom day of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru. "The BJP wants to bring dictatorship in the country. Sending opposition leaders to jail is not freedom. Let us unite or the country will be ruined. Kejriwal will come out, bringing a big revolution," Mann said. The Delhi government will run according to the law, he said. "No law says that a chief minister sent to jail under a political vendetta needs to resign. He is in