 "'Kejriwal's arrest unconstitutional': AAP workers hold protest in Lucknow")
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders on Saturday held a sit-in protest against the arrest of party chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the alleged liquor policy scam.
The protest was organised before the AAP's office in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow.
"Arvind Kejriwalji was unconstitutionally put behind bars. Kejriwalji is not afraid of the central government. We will keep fighting against his unconstitutional arrest. The truth will win", said Pankaj Awana, President of AAP's Uttar Pradesh Youth Wing while speaking to ANI.
Another AAP leader, Iram Rizwi, told ANI, "We will not be scared. Kejriwalji's arrest was unconstitutional. We will keep fighting"
Meanwhile, chaotic scenes were witnessed before the AAP's office in Lucknow as the police detained several protestors.
The AAP held a nationwide protest today against Arvind Kejriwal's arrest in the alleged liquor scam case.
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In Delhi, the AAP protested in front of the Bharatiya Janata Party headquarters, in which several party MPs, MLAs, councillors, and workers participated.
Delhi Ministers Gopal Rai and Atishi were among the key leaders who were present at the protest.
"While granting bail to Arvind Kejriwal, the trial court said that there is no evidence against Kejriwal. After getting bail, ED got scared, went to the High Court and got a stay on the bail order. When the hearing was to take place in the Supreme Court, a day before that, the CBI arrested Kejriwal. They do not want Kejriwal to come out of jail because they are scared that if Kejriwal comes out, he will get all the work of the public done," Gopal Rai said, speaking at the protest site.
Meanwhile, the Rouse Avenue Court of Delhi on Saturday sent Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to judicial custody till July 12 in connection with the excise policy case.
Advocate DP Singh appeared for CBI while seeking direction to send Arvind Kejriwal into Judicial Custody and alleged that during the police custody remand, the accused Arvind Kejriwal was examined/ interrogated. However, he did not cooperate with the investigation and deliberately gave evasive replies contrary to the evidence on record.
On being confronted with the evidence, he did not give a proper and truthful explanation regarding the enhancement of the profit margin for wholesalers from 5 per cent to 12 per cent under the new Excise Policy of Delhi 2021-22, without any study or justification, said CBI.
The CBI argued that he also evaded questions regarding the transfer and utilization of ill-gotten money to the tune of Rs.44.54 crores in the Goa Assembly Elections by his party during 2021-22, said CBI.
In the light of aforesaid facts and circumstances, the further custodial interrogation of the accused Arvind Kejriwal is not required at this stage, it added.
On Tuesday CBI arrested the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Kejriwal after the Vacation Judge of the Delhi Court allowed CBI to examine/interrogate him in the courtroom so that the agency could proceed with his formal arrest.
The court also asked the CBI to place on record the material that they have for his arrest.
The Delhi High Court recently stayed Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's bail order passed by the trial court, saying that the trial court should have at least recorded its satisfaction with the fulfilment of twin conditions of section 45 of Prevention of the Money Laundering Act (PMLA) before passing the impugned order.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is alleged to have received monetary benefits from vendors in place of the "license" granted to them under the new liquor policy, which was, however, scrapped later.
As per the allegations by the CBI, the AAP used the monetary benefits during the Punjab and Goa assembly elections.