Page 32 - Aap

INDIA bloc leaders moves EC, allege misuse of central agencies by BJP

A day after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate, a delegation of leaders of the INDIA bloc parties approached the Election Commission of India alleging "unrelenting, blatant and illegal deployment of Central Agencies" by the ruling BJP to stifle the opposition parties. In a memorandum submitted to the EC, the INDIA party leaders submitted a list of recent instances of central agencies targeting opposition parties and alleged an absence of a level playing field for the opposition. The leaders also suggested that the poll panel should change the heads of the probe agencies during the election to ensure a fair play. Speaking to the media after the meeting, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said, "We pointed out this is not a normal complaint, it is a larger issue of effecting, impairing, undermining, and sabotaging the basic structure of the Indian constitution. "We pointed out that the level playing field is the heart and soul of free

Highlights: Court sends Delhi CM Kejriwal to ED custody till March 28

ED arrests Delhi CM Kejriwal updates: Catch all the latest developments on Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's arrest by Enforcement Directorate officials here

Kejriwal took advantage of being CM to facilitate liquor scam, says ED

Arvind Kejriwal "took advantage" of being the chief minister of Delhi to facilitate money laundering by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which is a "major beneficiary" of the proceeds of crimes generated in the alleged liquor scam case, the ED claimed Friday. "Arvind Kejriwal, chief minister of NCT of Delhi is the kingpin and key conspirator of the Delhi Excise scam in collusion with ministers of Delhi government, AAP leaders and other persons," the federal agency informed a special PMLA court while seeking his custody. It claimed in its remand papers that "Arvind Kejriwal was involved in the conspiracy of formulation of the excise policy 2021-22 to favour certain persons and also involved in the demanding of kickbacks from liquor businessmen in exchange of favours granting in the said policy." The 55-year-old former IRS officer and activist was arrested by the ED on Thursday under the anti-money laundering law from his official residence in the Civil Lines area of Delhi.

Kejriwal arrest: AAP won't celebrate Holi, to gherao PM's residence

The AAP will not celebrate Holi this year and will gherao the prime minister's residence on March 26 to register its protest against Arvind Kejriwal's arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the party's Delhi convenor Gopal Rai said on Friday. Addressing a press conference here, Rai alleged that MLAs and councillors of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) were stopped from meeting the family members of the Delhi chief minister, who was arrested by the ED in an excise policy-linked money-laundering case on Thursday. "Workers and leaders were detained throughout the day. The whole country is sad and angered by Kejriwal's arrest. At 10 am on Saturday, all AAP MLAs, councillors, office-bearers, INDIA bloc representatives will take a pledge to save democracy. We will gather at the Shaheedi Park on Saturday, the martyrdrom day of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev," the Delhi minister said. He added that Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will also attend the programme. "On March 24, effigies o

Responsibilities of top AAP leaders likely to grow after Kejriwal's arrest

The role and responsibilities of top AAP leaders, including its national organisation secretary Sandeep Pathak, Punjab Chief minister Bhagwant Mann and Delhi ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj, are likely to grow within the party after its supremo Arvind Kejriwal's arrest weeks ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. The prospect of the Delhi chief minister's wife, Sunita Kejriwal, who has so far maintained a distance from politics, assuming a new role is also being discussed by people. In a post on X, Sunita Kejriwal said on Friday that her husband always stood with the people of Delhi and his arrest was a betrayal with them. "Modiji, in the arrogance of power, got your three-time chief minister arrested. Trying to crush everyone. This is a betrayal with the people of Delhi. Your chief minister always stood with you. Inside or outside, his life is dedicated to the country. The public is supreme and they know everything. Jai Hind," the former Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer said. Ma

PIL in Delhi HC seeks removal of Arvind Kejriwal as CM following arrest

A PIL was filed in the Delhi High Court on Friday seeking AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal's removal from the post of chief minister following his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in an excise policy-linked money laundering case. According to court sources, the petition has some defects and will be listed for hearing once these are cured. In his petition, Surjit Singh Yadav demanded that the Centre, Delhi government and the principal secretary to the lieutenant governor be asked to explain under what authority Kejriwal is holding the post of chief minister. The petitioner also sought Kejriwal's removal. The plea said Kejriwal has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21 in the money laundering case related to the alleged liquor policy scam and referred to the Delhi High Court's decision not to grant interim protection to him from coercive action in the case. The ED has produced Kejriwal in a court and sought his 10-day custody. The hearing is underway.

No bar in law on arrested person from continuing as CM: Legal experts

Arvind Kejriwal can continue as Delhi chief minister post his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in an excise policy-linked money laundering case with legal experts on Friday saying there is no bar under the law which prohibits an arrested person from holding the post. Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on Thursday hours after the Delhi High Court refused to grant him protection from any coercive action by the central probe agency. While senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan said there is no bar in law on a person continuing as chief minister once arrested, senior advocate Vikas Singh said though legally there is no bar, administratively it will be next to impossible. Kejriwal has not tender his resignation from the post of the chief minister. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said he will continue as the chief minister of Delhi and if need be, he will run the government from jail. On being asked about whether Kejriwal can continue as chief minister post his arrest, Sankaranarayanan said,

AAP leaders Atishi, Bharadwaj detained as AAP protests CM Kejriwal's arrest

Delhi Cabinet ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj were detained here on Friday as AAP leaders staged a protest against the BJP over the arrest of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by the Enforcement Directorate in the excise policy case. The two ministers were lodged in a police bus as officials asked protesters at the ITO intersection, which is near the AAP and BJP offices, to disperse in view of prohibitory orders under section 144 imposed in the area. The AAP supporters raised slogans against the BJP-led Centre government. The police have erected barricades on the Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg -- where the headquarters of both the parties are located -- and blocked it for traffic. They have also raised a barricade on the road leading to the BJP office from the AAP headquarters, a stone's throw away from each other. They are also checking the ID cards of those entering the area. Following Kejriwal's arrest Thursday evening, the AAP had given a nationwide call for protest aga

INDIA bloc to raise objection against 'targeting' of Oppn leaders with EC

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee condemned the arrest of Delhi CM Kejriwal; said INDIA bloc will meet with the Election Commission to object against the 'deliberate targeting' of Opposition leaders

Watch: APP Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj detained by police at ITO

Explained: What is Delhi excise policy case and why was Kejriwal arrested?

The ED has alleged that the liquor policy 'scam' was to give wholesale liquor business to private entities with a fix margin of 12%, for a 6% kickback

Arvind Kejriwal arrest: Here are the routes to avoid amid AAP protests

With protests planned by AAP workers at the BJP headquarters, the traffic police advised commuters to avoid Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg which has been closed for traffic movement

Delhi liquor scam: Here's what Opposition leaders said on Kejriwal's arrest

With protests planned by AAP workers at the BJP headquarters, the traffic police advised commuters to avoid Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg which has been closed for traffic movement

From crusader to liquor 'scam' accused: Kejriwal's arrest big blow to AAP

An IIT graduate, Kejriwal first led AAP to form the government in Delhi in 2013 with outside support from the Congress

How Delhi CM Kejriwal's arrest may dent AAP's prospects in Lok Sabha polls

The arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Thursday night could not have come at a worse time for the Aam Aadmi Party, which is already grappling with the absence of its top leadership from action. The party is eyeing at expanding its footprint across the country and has tied up with the Congress to contest the Lok Sabha polls against the BJP in Delhi, Haryana and Gujarat. Kejriwal is the fulcrum of the party's Lok Sabha campaign and its star campaigner. The party is already feeling the pinch of the absence of its senior leaders like Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain and Sanjay Singh. Now the arrest of Kejriwal has landed the ruling party of Delhi in the doldrums. On earlier occasions, whenever this question rose, the party maintained a tough stance saying it will fight it out, but there is no denying the fact that AAP's think tank won't find it easy to wriggle out of this problem. The party's campaign in Delhi, where it is contesting on four seats and in Gujarat, where it ha

AAP's Sanjay Singh takes oath as RS Member of Parliament for 2nd term

Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday administered oath to Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh after his re-election to the Upper House from Delhi for a second term. He was administered oath in Dhankhar's office in Parliament House in the presence of his mother and father, wife, and son and daughter. "Vice-President of India and Chairman, Rajya Sabha Jagdeep Dhankhar administered oath to re-elected Member of Rajya Sabha Sanjay Singh ji, in Parliament House today," the vice president's office said in a post on X while sharing pictures of the oath-taking. Singh, who is lodged in Tihar jail, was brought under a security cover, at the order of a local court. "The Jail Superintendent concerned is directed to ensure that the accused is taken to Parliament on 19.03.2024 under adequate security for the purpose of making and subscribing of oath as a Member and after the oath, he is also brought back to the jail safely," the judge said in his order. Sanjay Singh was arrested by the .

ED a political weapon, aims to prevent CM Kejriwal from campaigning: Atishi

Delhi Minister Atishi on Tuesday accused the Enforcement Directorate of becoming a "political weapon" and claimed the agency's assertion that BRS leader K Kavitha was involved in paying Rs 100 crore to AAP leaders for favours in the now-scrapped excise policy has been dismissed by the Supreme Court. Addressing a press conference, she alleged the federal probe agency's action was aimed at stopping Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal from campaigning in the Lok Sabha polls. Kavitha, the MLC daughter of former Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) agency last week from her Hyderabad home and she is in the federal probe agency's custody till March 23. In a statement on Monday, the ED claimed Kavitha along with others "conspired with the top leaders of AAP, including Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia, for getting favours in the Delhi excise policy formulation and implementation". "In .

ED acting like BJP's agent, charges against Kejriwal blatant lie, says AAP

The AAP on Monday termed the ED a political wing of BJP and dismissed its charges against the party and its national convener Arvind Kejriwal blatant and frivolous lies. The Enforcement Directorate on Monday said that BRS leader K Kavitha and some others "conspired" with top AAP leaders, including Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia, to get favours in the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy by paying Rs 100 crore to the political party that rules Delhi. Kavitha was arrested last week by the ED from Hyderabad. The Aam Aadmi Party responded to the ED statement by saying its probe was biased. "On earlier occasions too, ED has released such blatantly false and frivolous statements which show that instead of being a neutral investigative agency, it is working like a political wing of BJP," the party said in a statement. Delhi minister Atishi alleged that the ED is "planting stories" in the media and has not even a "penny worth" of evidence against Kejriwal. "ED is showing its true political colo

SC rejects bail plea, directs AAP leader Satyendar Jain to surrender

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested AAP Leader Satyendar Jain on May 30, 2022 on charges of money laundering

Sanjay Singh to be taken to Parl on March 19 for oath as RS MP: Delhi Court

A Delhi court has directed Tihar Jail officials to take Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh, who is arrested in the excise scam case, to Parliament on Tuesday to enable him to take oath as a Rajya Sabha member. Special Judge M K Nagpal directed the jail superintendent to ensure adequate security during Singh's movement. "The Jail Superintendent concerned is directed to ensure that accused is taken to Parliament on 19.03.2024 under adequate security for the purpose of making and subscribing of oath as a Member and after the oath, he is also brought back to the jail safely," the judge said. In an order passed on March 16, the judge said that during the visit Singh will not be permitted to use mobile phone or talk with any other accused, suspect or witness in this case, or in the connected case of the CBI. He shall also not be permitted to address the press or hold any public meeting, judge Nagpal said. However, he may be permitted to meet his counsel as well as his family members du