Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is in the custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), is scheduled to appear before Delhi's Rouse Avenue court at 11 am today. He was remanded to ED custody until April 1 after being arrested on March 21 in connection with a money laundering case related to the excise policy case.
Kejriwal has filed a petition in the Delhi High Court challenging his arrest, alleging that his fundamental rights were infringed upon by the investigating agency. The court has served a notice to the ED, requesting a response by April 2. The hearing is set to continue on April 3.
On Sunday, March 31, Sunita Kejriwal, the wife of Arvind Kejriwal, took the stage at the INDIA bloc rally held at Ramlila Maidan. Standing in for her husband, who is currently under custody, she read out a message written by the CM. Top opposition leaders who participated in the rally advocated for the release of Mr. Kejriwal and former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren. Soren was apprehended by the ED in January in an unrelated case.
Addressing the crowd, Sunita Kejriwal began by questioning the actions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who she accused of putting her husband behind bars. She asked whether the Prime Minister's actions were justified and whether the audience believed Arvind Kejriwal to be a true patriot and honest individual. Referring to criticism from BJP members suggesting Kejriwal's resignation due to his incarceration, Sunita Kejriwal defended her husband, portraying him as resilient and strong-willed.
"Your Kejriwal is a lion," she proclaimed, expressing confidence that he would not be detained for long.
Sunita Kejriwal also shared highlights from the message sent by her husband. The letter outlined six guarantees that the INDIA bloc promises to fulfill if voted into power, including improvements in healthcare and education facilities. He emphasized the need to address the injustices faced by the people of Delhi over the past 75 years and pledged to push for full statehood for Delhi under the leadership of the INDIA bloc.
Following the arrest, his proactive wife Sunita has held three press conferences within a week, leading to speculation about her potential elevation as the CM.
While the AAP maintains that Kejriwal will continue to govern from jail, there is a possibility of dismissal based on Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena’s recommendation.
Saxena has indicated that he will not permit the state government to be operated from jail. This has been interpreted as advice for Kejriwal to appoint a new leader; otherwise, the Central government could utilize Article 239AB of the Constitution to impose President’s Rule. Article 239AB, specific to the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, resembles Article 356 and empowers the L-G to suggest Central rule by suspending the House.
The United Nations, along with the United States and Germany, have commented Kejriwal's arrest, with the UN expressing its hope for the protection of everyone's rights leading up to the elections. India had summoned the US and German envoys in the previous week to register its objections to their remarks regarding the Chief Minister's arrest.
