Arvind Kejriwal Arrest Highlight: PMLA court, SC hearing likely on Friday after Delhi CM's arrest

“We have moved the Hon’ble Supreme Court. We have prayed for hearing at night. Petition has been filed, formalities complete, waiting to hear from Hon’ble SC,” says Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj.

AAP leader and Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj posts on X, “CM is arrested.”

AAP leader Atishi says, "We have received news that ED has arrested Arvind Kejriwal... We have always said that Arvind Kejriwal will run the govt from jail. He will remain the CM of Delhi. We have filed a case in the Supreme Court. Our lawyers are reaching SC. We will demand SC have an urgent hearing tonight."

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal was arrested under PMLA. It is the fourth notable apprehension following those of Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh, and K Kavitha in the investigation of the Delhi excise policy.

Police have detained AAP workers who were protesting outside Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's residence.

AAP leader Sanjay Singh's wife Anita Singh says, "This government (present central government) is just a dictatorial government. If they want to put all the opposition leaders in jail, then what is the need to hold elections. Arvind Kejriwal's house has been raided and security has been increased, all the phones found have been confiscated. So this is how the dictatorial government is putting everyone in jail without any proof."

Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi has stated that Arvind Kejriwal will not pursue an immediate hearing for his plea seeking protection in the Supreme Court tonight.

Delhi Minister Imran Hussain says, "It's very unfortunate. It's a conspiracy to stop the AAP and Arvind Kejriwal. People of Delhi love Arvind Kejriwal and they'll respond to the BJP."

Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva said on Thursday, "Arvind Kejriwal has committed a scam in the liquor policy, looted the people of Delhi, done the work of looting Delhi. So if you have cheated the public, committed theft, or committed corruption, then its consequences are also yours. You have committed theft and corruption in changing the liquor policy under the pretext that you will have to answer."

AAP MLA Sanjeev Jha said on Thusday, "We are waiting for the next step of the BJP govt and what ED does today. People have given the mandate to Arvind Kejriwal to run the govt and he will continue to do so. Even if Arvind Kejriwal will be jailed, 'Sarkar Jail Se Chalegi'."

Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials are currently carrying out a search operation at the residence of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, ANI reports.

The crowd is slowly building up outside the CM house with AAP MLAs Atishi, Sanjeev Jha, Prahlad Singh Sawhney, Rohit Mehraulia, speaker Ram Niwas Goyal, Durgesh Pathak, Kuldeep Kumar present

AAP leader and Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj says, ".....The central government is using all its clout to finish off a small party (AAP) that has just arrived. I am saying again that they can arrest Arvind Kejriwal, but not his idea and mindset. The more you show atrocities against him, the more his (Arvind Kejriwal) idea will spread all across the colony..."

Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi says, "The matter is going on in the court, 22 April has been decided as the next date. What was the hurry to raid, to arrest, to search?... The way police have been deployed here is condemnable... We have no contact with Arvind Kejriwal. Further intentions will soon become clear..."

“All efforts are underway to arrest the chief minister Arvind Kejriwal who is providing world class education-health-electricity-water facilities in Delhi. Arresting him just before the elections in a case that has been going on for 2 years shows political conspiracy. The whole of Delhi and the whole country is with Kejriwal,” AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal said.

“The ED has sent him summons nine times but he (Arvind Kejriwal) made excuses each time. We hope that today he answers the questions raised after K Kavitha’s revelations in the Delhi liquor scam.”

“It is the desperation of Modi. They cannot defeat Kejriwal that is why they want to keep Arvind Kejriwal out of the Lok Sabha elections. Modi does not have a counter to Arvind Kejriwal. He is misusing the ED to harass Kejriwal and is trying to keep him out of election. After two years investigation not a single rupee has been recovered from the excise case,” said AAP chief spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar.

Delhi minister and AAP leader Atishi says, " Arvind Kejriwal is not a person, he is an idea... We cannot go inside because heavy security is deployed. We will wait here. If a popular CM is arrested this way, his supporters from all over Delhi will come here... The HC issued a notice today to the ED as to why are the summons not being quashed, and why interim relief shall not be provided to Arvind Kejriwal. Without waiting for the decision of the court, ED has arrived to arrest Arvind Kejriwal... If this is a search operation, why have they brought four buses full of police personnel? What was the need to bring two buses full of RAF personnel? What was the need to barricade the whole area?... This is a conspiracy to arrest Arvind Kejriwal..."

After Delhi Police and Rapid Action Force, a third layer of Central Reserve Police has been deployed outside CM residence

As the ED team reaches Delhi CM and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal's residence, Delhi Minister and AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj says, "This time everyone knows that just a few hours ago, the matter was in the Delhi High Court. The High Court has given time to ED till 22 April, told to file a reply on why the arrest of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal is crucial? In a way, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is now inside Arvind Kejriwal's residence; there is a heavy deployment of police outside his house. Now, communication is not possible with him (Arvind Kejriwal), nor with his secretary, which seems that the agency has taken his phones...They (ED) might arrest him (Arvind Kejriwal)....BJP's atrocities are now exposed in front of this country..."

Several AAP leaders including ministers and MLAs have arrived outside CM’s residence and are protesting against the ED action.

AAP leaders slammed BJP and the ED after a team of the federal agency arrived at the residence of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday evening and reportedly started a raid in connection with the 2021 Delhi excise case in which former deputy CM Manish Sisodia and AAP MP Sanjay Singh are already in jail. Detailed information related to the ED action was not available with the AAP leaders and they said that the arrest of CM Arvind Kejriwal was imminent.

AAP leader and Delhi minister Atishi, who arrived outside CM residence, said: “I believe that people from all over Delhi will pour out into the streets if attempts to arrest Arvind Kejriwal is made. The people of Delhi love Kejriwal and consider him as their family members. PM Narendra Modi is afraid of Arvind Kejriwal. It is clear that ED and BJP do not respect the courts. When the court has sent a notice, why they cannot wait for the next date. It is a political conspiracy.”

Delhi assembly speaker Ram Niwas Goyal: the scale of force being deployed at CMs residence shows that ED has come to arrest the Chief minister. If the court has agreed to hear the case, why is ED so restless. Manish Sisodia was arrested but not an iota of proof has been presented by the agency over the last one year. It may be a small setback but the party will emerge stronger out of this episode.

Party and all MLAs have decided that CM Kejriwal will not resign after the arrest. The government will be run from the jail.