The notable individual who spearheaded the 'India Against Corruption' campaign and had three consecutive terms as Delhi's chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal, was recently taken into custody by the Enforcement Directorate. This development is a pivotal moment in the career of the activist-turned-politician who was previously a bureaucrat.
The timing of Kejriwal's detention is significant for his party, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which is actively participating in electoral politics for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections in Delhi, Haryana, and Gujarat in cooperation with the Congress under the INDIA bloc.
The 55-year-old AAP national convener has had a significant influence on the party's plans and strategies for the Lok Sabha elections. The party's chances of winning elections are clouded by his detention, especially in light of the fact that numerous other key AAP officials are either politically isolated or in prison.
Sanjay Singh and Manish Sisodia, two of his trusted allies, are presently incarcerated in relation to multiple cases, which exacerbates the difficulties facing the party leadership. Kejriwal's political career started in 2013 when, with outside assistance from the Congress, he led the AAP to victory in creating the Delhi government.
Despite early victories, Kejriwal's time as chief minister was short-lived—he resigned after the Delhi Assembly failed to approve the Jan Lokpal Bill. But encouraged by AAP's electoral victories in Delhi, he guided the party to a resounding win in the ensuing assembly elections, winning 67 of 70 seats.
Despite criticism for a number of his actions, Kejriwal is "said" to have continued to prioritise topics including health, education, water, and electricity supply over the years. AAP, which was created by Kejriwal and his friends, evolved from the 2011 anti-corruption movement and is now the third-largest national party in India, having spread to other states in addition to Delhi and Punjab.
Kejriwal has demonstrated adaptation and flexibility throughout his political career, whether it is by joining forces with opposition parties or taking a new tack on issues. But the AAP's claims to be seeking alternative politics and corruption-free administration are seriously called into question by his recent detention in connection with a corruption case.
The Downfall
The downfall began whnen raids were conducted on Manisjh Sisodia, Kejriwal’s deputy in August last year. Manish Sisodia, the deputy chief minister of Delhi, was the target of three searches on August 19 last year by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), including one at his home. Sisodia, who wass in charge of the excise department, is also accused of corruption in the alcohol regulation process.
The agency's discovery that a specific set of politicians and businesspeople from the South benefited from the now-canceled Delhi excise policy 2021–22 rather than the Rs. 100 crore in bribes given to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is the context of Kejriwal’s arrest.
After BRS leader K Kavitha, member of parliament Sanjay Singh, and former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, Kejriwal is the fourth well-known politician to be detained in this matter.
The Delhi excise policy was allegedly the product of a conspiracy devised by political figures, including Manish Sisodia, K Kavitha (who was detained last week), and Arvind Kejriwal. Under the new excise policy 2021–22, a South Group led by businessman Sarath Reddy, Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, and K Kavitha received nine zones out of 32 in Delhi. When the policy was introduced, wholesalers would have an astronomically high-profit margin of 12 per cent and retailers would have a profit margin of over 185 per cent. The ED has claimed that as part of the plot, wholesalers were to pay six per cent of the 12 per cent margin back as a kickback to the AAP leaders.
“Kavitha orchestrated a deal with CM, Delhi – Arvind Kejriwal and then deputy CM and the excise minister - Manish Sisodia, wherein she, along with other members of the South Group, paid them kickbacks through a string of intermediaries and middlemen. In exchange for kickbacks paid to the leaders of AAP, Kavitha had access to the policy formulation and was offered provisions to ensure a favorable position to her,” ED said in its remand note last week after arresting Kavitha according to a report in .
The AAP's then-communications chief, Vijay Nair, is accused by the ED of receiving the advance payment of Rs. 100 crore for overseeing this plot and scheme on behalf of the party's leaders. According to the ED, Kejriwal was the "brain" behind the excise policy or more appropriately the policy was Kejriwal's Brainchild, citing the words of businessman Sameer Mahendru. It has been reported that Nair set up a FaceTime chat with the Chief Minister so Mahendru could confirm his influence in the Delhi government. ED has said that during this video contact, Kejriwal informed Mahendru that Vijay is his boy and that he should trust him. According to a document filed by ED in court last year, “Vijay Nair is not an ordinary worker of the AAP but a close associate of Arvind Kejriwal, the CM of Delhi…”.
The ED claims that on December 7, 2022, former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia's then-secretary C Arvind made a statement stating that he was briefed at Kejriwal's residence in March 2021 about the plan to carve out a 12 percent profit margin for wholesale private firms under the excise policy. Prior to mid-March 2021, C Arvind informed ED that the group of ministers (GoM), which was made up of Sisodia, Satyendar Jain, and Kailash Gahlot, had not discussed giving the wholesale spirits market to private companies.
But in mid-March 2021, C Arvind was summoned by Sisodia to Kejriwal's home (where former Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain was also present). Sisodia gave C Arvind a draft GoM report suggesting that the wholesale (business) be outsourced to private companies and asked him to create a GoM report based on the document. He claimed that this was the first time he had ever seen this proposal because it had never been brought up at a GoM meeting, according to the agency.
The Enforcement Department (ED) asserted in its sixth charge sheet, which was submitted in December 2023, against AAP leader Sanjay Singh, that AAP benefited from the proceeds of crime when it utilised kickbacks totaling Rs. 45 crore that were created in the Delhi excise policy to campaign for the Goa assembly elections in 2022.
It claimed, "The AAP has profited directly from the use of part of PoC (proceeds of crime) to the tune of approximately ₹45 crore in its Goa election campaign."
In addition to the party, "some of the AAP leaders also personally benefitted from the proceeds of crime," according to the charging document. According to evidence gathered by the ED, Sisodia received a bribe of Rs. 2.2 crore, Sanjay Singh received Rs. 2 crore, and Nair received Rs. 1.5 crore.
The Investigation
In the excise policy investigation, the financial crimes probe agency has thus far filed six charge sheets against 31 people and organisations, including AAP lawmaker Sanjay Singh and former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia. Singh and Sisodia are being detained in Tihar prison. Kejriwal is the 32nd defendant in the case to be taken into custody. The Enforcement Department (ED) has searched 245 locations nationwide so far, including Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai, and other areas. In the case, it has also attached assets under PMLA valued at ₹128.79 crore.
The excise policy anomalies have resulted in a loss estimated by the agency at ₹2,873 crore. The Delhi Chief Minister received nine summonses from the Enforcement Department (ED) on November 2, December 22, January 3, January 18, February 2, February 19, February 27, March 4, and March 21. Kejriwal described these as “illegal and politically motivated” before being arrested . He attempted to obtain redress from the courts, but he was denied it.
Although ED has never formally stated whether he was being called in as a witness or a suspect, its court filings have implied that he was being investigated as an accused for conspiracy.
Sunita Kerjriwal- The New Rabri
Arvind Kejriwal was placed into ED detention for "detailed and sustained interrogation" by a Delhi court. The Delhi High Court's denial of the Delhi CM's request for immunity from coercion led to his detention. Kejriwal was the "principal conspirator and the kingpin of the Delhi excise policy scam," according to the Enforcement Directorate. Additionally, the central agency has claimed that he had a direct hand in creating the liquor policy, soliciting bribes, and managing the revenues of criminal activity. But Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have consistently refuted these accusations. They claim that there is no proof connecting Arvind Kejriwal to the purported excise policy fraud.
Similar to how Rabdi Devi used to make pronouncements and Lalu Prasad Yadav was exposed in the fodder scam, Sunita Kejriwal, wife of Arvind Kejriwal appears to be moving steadily and gently in the right direction to assume that role. With Sunita Kejriwal suddenly appearing on the scene, AAP is hoping that people will rally behind their leader with this emotional blackmailing. At a news conference, Sunita Kejriwal declared that her husband will reveal the truth about the liquor fraud when he appears before the Delhi High Court for bail. She said he will also provide documentation and "reveal where the money" of the scheme is. She added that during the ED raid on the couple's Civil Lines home, they discovered just Rs 73,000. "On March 28, Arvind Kejriwal will disclose everything in court. He'll reveal to the country the real whereabouts of the Liquor scam money. He'll also offer evidence," she declared.
The Fallout
Less than a month before the Lok Sabha elections, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was arrested. This development presents important challenges for the AAP and the greater anti-BJP Opposition alliance.
The AAP is likely to have an existential crisis if Kejriwal does not receive relief from the courts quickly enough. This is because, in the short term, the party will lose the services of a leader with unparalleled broad appeal. This will probably present the party with significant obstacles, and in a state like Punjab, it might even cause people to go more in favour of the Congress.
The data indicates that the AAP supporters opted for the Narendra Modi-led BJP in the Lok Sabha elections, which focused mostly on national matters rather than local ones in Delhi. It is plausible that Kejriwal's prominent apprehension serves as a catalyst for the AAP to buck this trend. The arrest of the first incumbent chief minister will also create problems, so national issues won't be the only things dominating the Lok Sabha elections in Delhi. The crucial factor will be whether or whether Hindu voters in slums who have benefited from Arvind Kejriwal's populist policies would support him or slightly lean towards the AAP. If they do, there might be a struggle in a few seats in Delhi this time, and the Congress-AAP alliance will be stoked about their prospects of being the first party from the INDIA bloc to win a seat in the national capital during the General elections.
The arrest of Kejriwal marks a departure from his earlier image as a leader committed to fighting corruption, as he now finds himself entangled in legal proceedings. Despite the hurdles, Kejriwal's journey from a relatively unknown activist to a prominent political figure in India reflects the dynamic nature of Indian politics.
By NILABH KRISHNA
(The content of this article reflects the views of writers and contributors, not necessarily those of the publisher and editor. All disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of competent courts and forums in Delhi/New Delhi only)
Leave Your Comment