After Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s appeal against his detention by the ED in relation to the excise policy issue was denied, the BJP escalated its onslaught on him.
On Wednesday, hundreds of BJP workers demonstrated in front of the AAP headquarters on DDU Marg, calling on Kejriwal, who is now being incarcerated in Tihar Jail, to step down. As party members set fire to effigies of the Kejriwal-led administration at Bal Bhavan Chowk in protest of “corruption in the AAP government,” tensions grew.
Several BJP employees were arrested after the Delhi Police used water cannons to scatter demonstrators who were trying to break over barriers in an attempt to maintain order. The head of the BJP’s Delhi unit, Virendra Sachdeva, allegedly suffered injuries and was admitted to RML Hospital.
After Kejriwal’s ED detention was upheld by the Delhi High Court, calls for his resignation gathered momentum. “After the HC decision, what moral right does Kejriwal have to remain as the Chief Minister?” said Sachdeva in his speech. There may not be any more legal options, therefore he should step down right now.
“The allure of power is so strong today that when Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain went to jail, they resigned, but Kejriwal, who is the kingpin of the entire liquor scam, is saying that he will run the government from jail,” he said, underscoring the gravity of the problem.
Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri echoed similar views when he said, “A government cannot be run from jail because jail protocols do not allow that.” Should Kejriwal fail to submit his letter of resignation, the legal system would pursue its own agenda.
Harsh Vardhan, the sitting member, chimed in, emphasizing how Kejriwal’s resignation was imperative in view of the current investigations. “Kejriwal should step down now until the investigation is finished and assist the investigation completely,”