The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday, 6 November, said that it is looking into legal options that would allow Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to continue heading the government from behind bars, if he were arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
The party's MLAs advised Kejriwal to maintain his role as the head of the Delhi government in the event that the central probe agency takes him into custody.
"Whenever a case is registered or someone is arrested, it's always an AAP member. They started by arresting AAP MLAs, then ministers, and now an MP. BJP leaders are now openly threatening to send Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to jail," Delhi Education Minister Atishi Marlena said.
"All our MLAs conveyed a unanimous message to the Chief Minister. Even if the BJP tries to imprison our CM in Tihar Jail, he should not, under any circumstances, consider resigning. We must not allow BJP's conspiracies to succeed," she added.
"The people of Delhi didn't vote for individual MLAs or parties, they voted for Arvind Kejriwal. We cannot betray the trust that the people have placed in us. If necessary, we will seek court permission to conduct Cabinet meetings, manage official files, and interact with officers from within the confines of the jail."AAP leader Atishi Marlena
Delhi Health Minister and AAP leader Saurabh Bhardwaj criticised the ED for not providing a satisfactory answer to the judge's enquiries about the money trail, giving the example of former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia's case.
"The manner in which Prime Minister Modi is orchestrating these actions leads us to anticipate that other cabinet colleagues may also be detained soon," Bhardwaj said.
"Regardless of the circumstances, Arvind Kejriwal will continue to lead the government, whether it's from behind bars or under judicial custody, thanks to the mandate he has received," he added.
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