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The interim bail granted by the Supreme Court to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal till June 1 in the excise policy case has drawn a positive reaction from the opposition Congress party in the national capital. Delhi Congress interim president Devender Yadav welcomed the apex court’s order, stating it will help restore people’s faith in democratic institutions.
Speaking to reporters, Yadav accused the BJP-led central government of “caging” and misusing democratic establishments to target political opponents like Kejriwal. He said the Congress has been consistently highlighting such alleged misuse of agencies against sitting chief ministers.
“We have been saying that the BJP and its leaders have caged establishments of democracy. Because of this, sitting chief ministers were sent to jail,” Yadav said. “I appreciate the Supreme Court’s order of granting interim bail to Arvind Kejriwal. This will boost the faith of people in democracy.”
The Congress leader’s remarks come amid the party’s attempts to corner the BJP over the issue of alleged misuse of central investigative agencies like the ED and CBI against opposition leaders in various states. The party has claimed this is part of the BJP’s efforts to undermine democratically-elected governments.
Kejriwal, who heads the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21 in the excise policy scam case. He has been lodged in Tihar jail since then. The ED has accused him of being the “kingpin” in the money laundering case related to alleged irregularities in Delhi’s now-scrapped liquor policy.
While granting interim bail, the Supreme Court directed Kejriwal to surrender on June 2 after seeking regular bail from the trial court on June 1. The AAP has hailed the order as a big relief for its chief ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.