 Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Mar 22: National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah on Friday said the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was a "blot" on democracy, and shows the ruling party's "remarkable degree of nervousness".
The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said his party stands with Kejriwal and his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
"Aisi Taisi Democracy. For all the talk of 400+ seats, the ruling dispensation is displaying a remarkable degree of nervousness. Having a sitting opposition CM arrested by a pliable central agency within days of the general elections being announced is a blot on democracy," Abdullah said in a post on X.
Kejriwal, who is also the national convenor and chief of AAP, was arrested on Thursday night by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in the scrapped Delhi excise policy 2021-22.
Later, speaking to reporters here, Abdullah said Kejriwal's arrest was clearly linked to elections.
"Within days of the EC announcing the dates for the Lok Sabha polls, you see that the sitting chief minister and an important part of the opposition alliance has been arbitrarily arrested by the ED," he said.
However, the NC leader said Kejriwal is not the first opposition leader to face ED action.
"Some weeks ago, the sitting CM of Jharkhand was also in a similar position. His deputy chief minister was also arrested last year, others also. This is just unfortunately a part of a process whereby democratic institutions in this country have gradually been eroded to a point that they almost now cease to exist," he said.
Abdullah said whether the country realises the threat that our democracy faces, only time will tell, but, the legacy that this government would leave is extremely unfortunate for the country.
"This Government will not last forever, at some point or the other, this government will be out of office, out of power, but the lasting legacy that they will leave wherein democratic institutions will have been all but destroyed, is extremely unfortunate for this country," he added.
This is a fight that will continue, the NC leader said.
Asked whether the arrest was a pressure tactic before the polls, Abdullah said it was not something new.
"This has been going on for many years and there is no party left now which opposes the BJP and has not been targeted like this. This is a small part of the new democracy that has been established in our country in the last few years. But, all democratic institutions have been rendered hollow one by one," he said. |
