NEW DELHI: An Indian court has sent New Delhi chief minister and main opposition leader Arvind Kejriwal to jail until April 15 in a graft case, local media reported on Monday. The development occurred less than three weeks before the commencement of national elections in the country.
Kejriwal, from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), was arrested by India’s financial crime-fighting agency on corruption charges and was in their custody until April 1. AAP contends that Kejriwal’s arrest is unjust and based on fabricated allegations, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) deny any political interference.
According to lawyers for the agency, Kejriwal was deemed “non-cooperative” and provided “evasive replies” during questioning on April 1. Consequently, they pleaded the court to approve his judicial custody for 15 days.
Kejriwal, on his way to court, blamed Prime Minister Modi for his arrest, stating, “What the prime minister is doing is not good for the country.” Before Kejriwal’s arrest, several senior AAP leaders were already sent to jail in the same case.
The arrest of the high-profile leader sparked protests in Delhi and Punjab, a northern state also governed by AAP, in the preceding week. The court’s decision came following a rally in New Delhi by the INDIA bloc, a coalition of 27 opposition parties including AAP, protesting Kejriwal’s arrest and accusing Modi of election interference.
Various opposition parties, including regional groups, claim to face politically motivated actions from federal agencies. The main opposition party, Congress, alleges large income tax demands as an attempt to financially cripple them before the elections, a claim that Modi and the BJP refute.
Kejriwal’s arrest has garnered international attention, with the US and Germany urging a fair and impartial trial. In response, New Delhi strongly objected, asserting that it was an internal matter and urging foreign entities to refrain from involvement.
