The Enforcement Directorate has raised concerns regarding the campaign speeches made by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal before the Supreme Court, deeming his comments as disrespectful towards the system. Nevertheless, the Supreme Court declined to provide any comments on the issue.
The ED has taken issue with Kejriwal’s statements suggesting that he would return from Tihar Jail on June 5 if the INDIA bloc emerged victorious following the announcement of the Lok Sabha election results on June 4. Arvind Kejriwal, who was arrested in connection with a money laundering case related to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam, was granted interim bail by the Supreme Court last week to participate in the Lok Sabha elections. The AAP leader is required to surrender and return to jail on June 2.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta questioned, “Arvind Kejriwal has stated that if people vote for the AAP, then he won’t have to go to jail on June 2. How can Arvind Kejriwal make such a statement?” In response, Justice Sanjiv Khanna stated, “We appreciate criticism of the judgment. However, we will not delve into that. Our directive is clear on when he (Kejriwal) must surrender. It is the decree of the apex court, and the principle of law will be upheld accordingly. We have not made any exceptions for anyone.” The Supreme Court was considering a petition filed by the Delhi Chief Minister challenging his arrest in the case by the ED.
During his election rallies in Delhi and Haryana, Kejriwal appealed to emotions, recounting his arrest just before the Lok Sabha polls and the denial of insulin doses for his blood sugar while in Tihar Jail. “I am due to return to jail on June 2. I will be observing the results on June 4 from the jail. If you put in the effort and secure victory for the INDIA bloc, I will return on June 5,” Kejriwal reiterated at his rallies.