"Scared dictator wants to create dead democracy": Rahul Gandhi after Kejriwal arrested in excise policy case

New Delhi [India], March 21 (ANI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi came down heavily on Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in connection with the excise policy case, as he accused the latter of resorting to 'dictatorial tactics' to destroy democracy in the country.
The Congress leader also accused the BJP-led NDA government of 'capturing institutions', including the media.
Using the words 'devilish power' to take a veiled swipe at the Centre, Rahul Gandhi posted from his X handle, "A scared dictator wants to create a dead democracy. While capturing all the institutions, including the media, breaking up the parties, extorting money from companies, and freezing the accounts of the main opposition party was not enough for the 'devilish power', now the arrest of the elected chief ministers has also become a common thing."
He said that the opposition INDIA bloc will give a "befitting reply to this".
Meanwhile, Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge called Kejriwal's arrest, "a step taken to weaken the opposition before the Lok Sabha election".
"The arrogant BJP, which makes false claims of victory every day, is trying to weaken the opposition by all means and illegal means before the elections. If there was real confidence in victory, then the accounts of the main opposition party - the Congress Party, would not have been frozen by misusing the constitutional institutions; leaders of opposition parties would not have been targeted right before the elections," Kharge posted from his X handle.
Invoking the BJP's slogan of 'Abki Baar 400 Paar' (beyond 400 seats this time), Kharge said, "Waqt Hai Badlaw Ka..Abki Baar.. Satta Ke Bahar."
"The truth is that the BJP is already scared of the upcoming election results and its panic is creating all kinds of problems for the Opposition. Waqt Hai Badlaw Ka..Abki Baar.. Satta Ke Bahar (It's time for change! This time...out of power)," he added.
Earlier in the evening, a team from the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) arrived at Kejriwal's residence on Thursday for questioning in connection with the liquor policy case. The team conducted a search operation at his residence, sources said.
The ED team reached his residence for questioning hours after the Delhi High Court refused interim protection to Kejriwal from coercive action in connection with the excise policy case.
AAP workers also staged a protest outside the residence of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.
Denying him interim protection from arrest in the liquor policy case, the Delhi HC ruled that, in this state, it was not inclined to do so.
The court passed down the directive during the hearing on a plea by the AAP supremo, urging coercive action against him in connection with the excise policy case.
Meanwhile, BJP leaders on Thursday supported the ED action to arrest the Delhi Chief Minister in the Delhi excise policy case and said "truth had to prevail."
Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva said Arvind Kejriwal has been continuously making excuses in the liquor policy scam since 2020-21 "and the kind of political theatrics he was doing has been put to an end today."
"Today, finally, the truth triumphed and I believe that the conspiracy hatched by Arvind Kejriwal and his government to push the youth into alcoholism was bound to result in this. The truth had to prevail and Arvind Kejriwal had to be punished for his sins," Sachdeva said.
ED had issued repeated summons to the AAP supremo in the excise policy case and he had skipped them, pointing out that the probe agency had moved the court against him.
According to the ED, the agency wants to record Kejriwal's statement in the case on issues like the formulation of the now-scraped excise policy, meetings held before it was finalized, and allegations of bribery.
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)