Kerala CM terms arrest of Sisodia as an attack on democracy

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday lashed out at the BJP over the arrest of AAP leader and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, and said the Central agencies were being used to intimidate the opposition parties and termed it as an attack on democracy.

Vijayan said the Centre was attempting to destabilise the opposition-ruled State governments in the country and termed it as a move to divert the attention from the issues of joblessness and economic crisis.

"The arrest of @msisodia by CBI is another example of how @BJP4India misuses the Union Government's agencies to intimidate the opposition. It's a blatant abuse of power and an attack on democracy. Such repression undermines the very foundation of our nation and should be resisted," Vijayan tweeted.

The CBI had on Sunday arrested Sisodia in connection with alleged corruption in the now-scrapped excise policy.

"There is a growing discontent among the people over joblessness and the economic crisis in the country. It seems like the Union government is trying to divert attention from such major issues through arrests like this," the Chief Minister's Office said in a statement.

Vijayan urged the people to show strong protests against attacks on the country's constitution and democracy.