Kolkata: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday denounced the arrest of her Delhi counterpart and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the excise policy scam. She slso lashed out at the BJP calling the central agency's action a “blatant assault on democracy.”
The Trinamul Congress supremo, who shares a personal rapport with the AAP chief, posted on X-handle, “I vehemently condemn the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal, the sitting elected Chief Minister of Delhi elected by the people. I have personally reached out to Smt Sunita Kejriwal to extend my unwavering support and solidarity.”
Attacking the BJP, she alleged, “It's outrageous that while elected opposition CMs are being deliberately targeted and arrested while individuals accused under CBI/ED investigations are allowed to continue their malpractices with impunity, especially after aligning with the BJP. This is a blatant assault on democracy.”
Ms Banerjee also claimed, “Today, our INDIA alliance will meet the EC to express our strong objection to the deliberate targeting and arrests of opposition leaders, particularly during the MCC period. To this end, I have designated @derekobrienmp and @MdNadimulHaque6 to represent @AITCofficial in this crucial meeting with the Election Commission.” In Kolkata, AAP supporters demonstrated outside the state BJP head office over Mr Kejriwal's arrest.
