Kejriwal’s arrest: AAP’s collective fast today; congregation at Jantar Mantar, Khatkar Kalan
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will observe a daylong fast today to mark their protest against the arrest of party chief and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Senior AAP leader Gopal Rai announced on Saturday that the collective act of solidarity would include a congregation of supporters at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar and Khatkar Kalan in Punjab, the ancestral village of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, where AAP leaders and party workers would undertake a mass fast.
“Simultaneously, in 25 states across India and key international hubs including New York, Boston, Toronto, Washington DC, Melbourne, and London, supporters will extend their support to Kejriwal through community fasting,” Rai said at a press conference.
Rai urged those opposed to Kejriwal’s arrest and “who want to save the country’s democracy” to participate in collective fasts across various locations, including homes, villages, neighbourhoods, block headquarters, tehsils, districts, and state capitals. He also encouraged people to collectively pray or listen to the devotional song “Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram” on YouTube, expressing solidarity with Kejriwal.
“You can sing it collectively. Together, we will pray for Kejriwal to receive strength and fight against tyranny while he is in jail. We can fight to bring the truth to light,” he added.
People holding fast to protest Kejriwal’s arrest have been asked to send pictures to the website kejriwalkoaashirvaad.com.
Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by Enforcement Directorate last month in a money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped excise policy. He has been sent to judicial custody till April 15. Kejriwal is lodged in Tihar jail along with his former cabinet minister Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain.
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been demanding Kejriwal’s resignation as Delhi chief minister. The Enforcement Directorate also opposed the plea moved by Kejriwal before a city court for more time with his lawyer, saying special privileges cannot be extended to him merely because he wants to run the government from inside the jail.
“When a person is in jail his stature outside is irrelevant and he is treated equally (like other prisoners). They have already been allowed two meetings in a week. One of the consequences of JC (judicial custody) is that your exposure to the outside world is limited and in accordance with law.
“Merely because someone chooses to run the government from the prison he cannot be treated as an exception and cannot be granted the privilege,” the ED’s counsel told the judge.