Arvind Kejriwal News: AAP Leaders Reiterate Delhi CM's Charge on ED, Say 'His Arrest is Based on Only 4 Statements'

Arvind Kejriwal News: Trouble continues for Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal as a fresh Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Delhi High Court seeking his removal from the post of Chief Minister. The petition, filed by Hindu Sena President, Vishnu Gupta, says that the situation after Kejriwal’s recent arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the money laundering case related to the alleged excise policy scam constitutes a breach of constitutional trust mandated by the Constitution.

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, India Bloc Mega Rally Live Updates

Kejriwal’s ED custody was extended till April 1 by a Delhi court on Thursday, as it held that there were “sufficient reasons”. The high court on Thursday also dismissed a similar PIL seeking Kejriwal’s removal as the Chief Minister, saying there is no scope for judicial interference, and that it is for the other wing of the government to examine the same in accordance with the law.

Gupta’s petition, however, argues that under Article 164 of the Constitution, a Chief Minister’s dismissal is warranted if they act in a manner that undermines the rule of law or breaches constitutional trust. It alleges that since Kejriwal’s arrest, the government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi has failed to convene cabinet meetings, thereby disrupting the constitutional framework and hindering the functioning of governance. The crux of the PIL revolves around whether the Governor possesses the discretion to dismiss a Chief Minister in an extraordinary situation such as arrest, given the Constitution’s silence on the matter.

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• AAP Alleges Connection Between Excise Policy Scam Witness and BJP– The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday alleged connection between one of the witnesses in the alleged excise policy scam and the BJP, and challenged the enforcement directorate (ED) to conduct a probe into it. Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, whose son Raghava Magunta Reddy was arrested by the ED in connection with the excise policy case, has been fielded by the BJP’s ally TDP in the Lok Sabha polls, senior AAP leaders and Delhi Ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged in a press conference. “I challenge the ED if it is an independent agency to bring in the record this connection and probe it,” Atishi said and alleged that the BJP has connections with the so-called ‘South Lobby’ of liquor traders.“Earlier, another witness against Kejriwal in the excise policy case, Sarath Reddy, had paid Rs 55 crore to the BJP through electoral bonds which proves the party has a connection with the ‘South Lobby’,” Atishi further alleged. She charged that the ED had been “torturing” the witnesses till it got statements from them against Kejriwal. Referring to the questioning of Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot by the ED in the excise policy case, she said, “They may summon me, Bharadwaj and other AAP leaders and arrest us but we are not scared of going to jail.” She said Kejriwal’s arrest was an “assault on democracy” in the country and the whole of Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc opposed it.
• AAP Leaders Reiterate Kejriwal’s Charge on ED, Say ‘Delhi CM’s Arrest is Based on Only 4 Statements’– Addressing media, AAP leader and Delhi Minister Atishi said, “Arvind Kejriwal was arrested based on just four statements– first of C Arvind, who was Manish Sisodia’s secretary and handed him the papers related to the Excise policy. His statement does not say anywhere that Arvind Kejriwal took money or that there was any monetary transaction. Second of Sharath Chandra Reddy, who donated Rs 55 crore to BJP through Electoral Bonds after his arrest. Third and fourth of Raghav Magunta Reddy and M Srinivasulu Reddy respectively. MP MSR met Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, and asked for land for his trust.”
• INDIA Bloc Rally Not Person-specific but to Protect Democracy, Constitution, Says Cong-The Congress asserted on Saturday that the INDIA opposition bloc’s “Loktantra Bachao Rally” that will be held at the Ramlila Maidan in Delhi is not aimed at protecting a person but at saving the Constitution and democracy.The opposition party said a “strong message” will be sent out from the rally on Sunday to Lok Kalyan Marg (where the prime minister’s residence is located) that the BJP-led government’s “time is up”. Addressing a press conference on the rally, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi will address the rally, among other senior leaders. “It is not a person-specific rally. That is why it is called Loktantra Bachao Rally. This is not one party’s rally, about 27-28 parties are involved in it. All constituents of the INDIA jan bandhan will be taking part in the rally,” Ramesh said.
• Hemant Soren’s Wife in Delhi for Tomorrow’s Rally–Kalpana Soren, the wife of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader and former CM Hemant Soren, arrives in Delhi, to take part in the INDIA group rally tomorrow.
• Delhi Minister Kailash Gahlot Joins ED Probe–Delhi Minister Kailash Gahlot reached the office of the Enforcement Directorate after the agency issued a summons to him to appear before it for questioning in a money laundering case linked to Delhi excise policy.
• Kailash Gahlot Says He’ll Join ED Probe Today–“I will join the probe today,” said Minister Kailash Gahlot.
• ED Sends Summons to Kailash Gahlot, Asked to Appear Today– Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot has been summoned by ED. Gahlot has been asked to appear before the federal probe agency today.
• AAP’s Important PC At Noon–Senior AAP leaders and Delhi Cabinet Ministers Saurabh Bharadwaj and Atishi will address an important press conference today (Mar 30) at noon at 206 Rouse Avenue.
• Gopal Rai Reviews Preparedness For INDIA Bloc’s Mega Protest Tomorrow–AAP leaders Gopal Rai and Dilip Pandey inspected preparations for the INDIA bloc’s ‘maharally’ to protest against Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest to be held on March 31, at Ramlila Maidan.
• INDIA Bloc’s Sunday Rally at Ramlila Maidan Gets Nod From ECI, Delhi Police– The Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Delhi Police have given their nod for the INDIA bloc’s rally at the Ramlila Maidan in the national capital to voice the opposition alliance’s protest against the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by the ED in the excise policy case. Scheduled for March 31, the rally’s theme is ‘Tanasahi Hatao, Loktantra Bachao’ (remove dictatorship, save democracy). According to AAP, it has received permission from the authorities concerned to hold the rally of more than 20,000 people. Senior leaders such as Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Sharad Pawar, and Uddhav Thackeray are expected to attend the protest rally. Other prominent leaders who are expected to be present at the Ramlila Maidan on Sunday include Tiruchi Shiva (DMK), Derek O’Brien (TMC), Tejashwi Yadav (RJD), Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M), D. Raja (CPI), Farooq Abdullah (NC), Dipankar Bhattacharya (CPI-ML), Champai Soren (JMM), Kalpana Soren (JMM), and Aditya Thackeray (Shiv Sena-UBT), among others.
• Kejriwal’s Wife Sunita Launches WhatsApp Campaign to Garner Support; INDIA Bloc Rally on March 31– Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s wife Sunita on Friday launched a WhatsApp campaign, ‘Kejriwal ko Aashirwad’, asking people to send their blessings and prayers, even as the AAP announced a mega rally at the Ramlila Ground against the BJP on March 31 to be addressed by top opposition leaders. In a digital media briefing on Friday, Sunita Kejriwal said her husband has challenged the “most corrupt and dictatorial forces” in the country and asked people to support him through their blessings and prayers.Issuing two WhatsApp numbers — 8297324624 and 9700297002 — Sunita said people can send their blessings, prayers or any other messages to the AAP national convenor and she will communicate those to him. Messages sent to one of these numbers generate a customised response from Sunita that reads: “Received your message sent for Kejriwal ji. Heartfelt gratitude for this. I will get them to read your message and inform you. – Sunita Kejriwal.”
• ED Wants AAP’s LS Poll Strategy Details from Kejriwal’s Phone: Atishi– The Enforcement Directorate is working as BJP’s political weapon and it wants to get details of AAP’s Lok Sabha election strategy by accessing Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s phone, senior AAP leader Atishi alleged on Friday. Addressing a press conference In Delhi, Atishi claimed the insistence of the ED to look into Kejriwal’s mobile phone, which is a few months old and did not exist when the policy was formed and implemented, proves that the agency is working as a “political weapon” of the BJP.
• Kejriwal’s Wife Quite Active, They Seem Inspired by Lalu, Rabri: Ravi Shankar Prasad–Jailed Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal seems to have drawn inspiration from INDIA bloc ally Lalu Prasad who gave reins of power to his wife upon coming under the dragnet, senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad alleged on Friday. “These days Kejriwal’s wife seems to have become quite active. She can be seen in the chair that her husband used to occupy as the chief minister of Delhi,” Prasad said. Sunita Kejriwal, a former IRS officer, who has high prospects of stepping into the shoes of her arrested husband as well as national convener of the AAP Arvind Kejriwal, is seemingly learning the ropes of her new role. In her three digital press briefings since Kejriwal’s arrest on March 21, she has defended her husband calling him a patriot and courageous man.
• Kejriwal’s Arrest By ED–The central probe agency arrested Kejriwal on March 21 in the Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case and is in its custody till April 1.
• AAP Expects Over One Lakh People from Punjab to Participate in Delhi Rally– AAP is expecting more than one lakh people from Punjab to participate in the INDIA bloc’s rally in Delhi on Sunday, said a senior party leader on Saturday. The opposition INDIA bloc will hold a ‘Maharally’ at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan on March 31 to “safeguard” the country’s interests and democracy, the Aam Aadmi Party had earlier said.
• Hemant Soren’s Wife Meets Sunita Kejriwal in Delhi– Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s wife Kalpana Soren met jailed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s wife Sunita Kejriwal here on Saturday. Kalpna Soren met Sunita Kejriwal at Delhi Chief Minister’s residence on 6 Flagstaff Road. The meeting between the two lasted for 15-20 minutes, officials said

(with PTI inputs)