Kejriwal Arrested Because of His Deeds: Anna Hazare

Mumbai: Social activist Anna Hazare on Friday said the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal because of his own deeds. The anti-corruption crusader said it saddened him to see his once associate in the fight against liquor going behind bars in an alleged liquor scam.

“I am very upset that Arvind Kejriwal, who used to work with me, raised his voice against liquor, is now making liquor policies. His arrest is because of his own deeds,” Hazare said at his village Ralegan Siddhi in the Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra.

The social activist further stated that Kejriwal made the liquor policy after becoming the Delhi Chief Minister, and despite Hazare writing to him twice, he did not “listen to him.”

Had he not done anything, there was no question of his being arrested. Whatever happens now should happen according to the law, the activist added.

Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on Thursday late evening in connection with the excise policy-linked money laundering case. The probe agency said that the Delhi liquor policy 2021-22 provided an exceptionally high-profit margin of 12 per cent for wholesalers and nearly 185 per cent for retailers. Of the 12 per cent, six per cent was to be recovered from wholesalers as kickbacks for AAP leaders and the ‘South Group’ allegedly gave Rs 100 crore in advance to another accused, Vijay Nair, who was linked to the AAP.

In August 2022, Hazare had written a letter to the Delhi CM warning about his involvement in the excise policy case.

“This is the first time I am writing to you since you became chief minister, because I am pained at recent news reports about your government’s liquor policy. Like liquor, power too intoxicates. You are intoxicated by power, it seems,” Hazare had written in the letter to Kejriwal.

“The policy will spur corruption and this thing is not at all in the interest of the people. But still, you took the decision to bring the new liquor policy. Like addiction to liquor, there is an addiction of power and it seems that you have sunk into it,” he had further said in the letter.

Hazare spearheaded the Lokpal movement in the early 2010s along with Kejriwal. Later, Kejriwal formed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and entered electoral politics.

Meanwhile, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar condemned the arrest of Kejriwal and alleged that federal agencies are being misused to suppress the voice of the Opposition.

Pawar said he is confident people will show their collective power in the elections the way they had demonstrated during Emergency. “BJP will have to pay the price for the ‘misuse of power,’ he said.

“They arrested Hemant Soren (ex-CM of Jharkhand), who belongs to the tribal class. Now, Arvind Kejriwal has been arrested in a case related to (Delhi) liquor policy. We were anticipating some action against him,” said the veteran leader.