The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday reiterated its call for the resignation of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal following a high court verdict upholding his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in a corruption case linked to the alleged excise policy scam.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) condemned the BJP's actions, describing them as an attempt to "mislead" the people of Delhi.
During a press conference, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said that both the Supreme Court's ruling on the lieutenant governor's power to appoint aldermen to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the Delhi High Court's verdict in the excise policy case represent victories for the people of Delhi.
"The question now is whether Kejriwal has the moral authority to remain the Chief Minister of Delhi," said Sachdeva, adding that the administration was "paralysed" with no AAP minister willing to take responsibility.
"The high court order has vindicated BJP's allegations that the AAP and the Kejriwal government looted Delhi in the excise policy scam," he charged.
Sachdeva argued that it is imperative for Kejriwal to step down as Chief Minister and for someone else to restore the administration's functionality.
The Delhi High Court upheld the chief minister's arrest by the CBI in the corruption case related to the alleged excise scam, dealing a significant blow to the AAP leader. The court also disposed of his bail plea, allowing him the liberty to seek relief from the trial court.
BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj noted that the court, while upholding Kejriwal's arrest, stated it "cannot be said that his arrest was unjustifiable or illegal". She accused Kejriwal of causing "zero governance and complete policy paralysis" in Delhi with his insistence on running the government from jail.
However, the AAP maintained that the CBI case has not been decided on its merits by the court.
"The petition before the High Court was challenging certain technical aspects of the law, regarding the prosecution's non-compliance with certain legal provisions," the AAP said.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) case was decided on its merits, and the trial court conclusively found no evidence against Arvind Kejriwal. Both the trial court and the Supreme Court have already granted him bail, the party stated.
Kejriwal was arrested by the CBI on June 26 from Tihar Jail, where he was in judicial custody in a related money laundering case filed by the ED. He had previously been arrested by the ED on March 21 and was granted bail by the trial court on June 20, although this order was stayed by the high court.
On July 12, the Supreme Court granted Kejriwal interim bail in the money laundering case.
The excise policy was scrapped in 2022 after the Delhi lieutenant governor ordered a CBI probe into alleged irregularities and corruption in its formulation and execution.
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