Delhi chief minister remanded to ED custody

A top Indian opposition politician was remanded in custody yesterday following his overnight arrest in a case supporters say is aimed at sidelining challengers to Prime Minister Narendra Modi before next month’s election.
Arvind Kejriwal, chief minister of the capital Delhi and a key leader in an opposition alliance formed to compete against Modi in the polls, was detained late Thursday in connection with a long-running corruption probe.
He is among several leaders of the bloc under criminal investigation and one of his colleagues described his arrest as a “political conspiracy” orchestrated by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Kejriwal was brought before a New Delhi court yesterday which ruled he should stay remanded in the custody of the enforcement directorate, India’s main financial crimes investigation agency, until at least March 28. “My life is dedicated to the country, whether I am inside or outside,” Kejriwal told reporters while being led into the courtroom before the hearing began.
Shadan Farasat, a member of Kejriwal’s legal team, said colleagues were considering their next course of action after the ruling.
His Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), maintains that Kejriwal has not resigned his office as chief minister despite his arrest.
“We made it clear from the beginning that if needed, Arvind Kejriwal will run the government from jail,” Delhi Education Minister Atishi Marlena Singh told reporters. Hundreds of supporters from Kejriwal’s AAP took to the streets yesterday to condemn the leader’s arrest, with police breaking up one crowd of protesters who attempted to block a busy traffic intersection.
Several demonstrators were detained, including Singh and Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj. Rallies in support of Kejriwal were held in numerous other big cities around India.