Kejriwal arrest: End of democracy, says JMM; BJP says those corrupt bound to meet same fate

The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) on Thursday termed the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) as ''end of democracy'' in the country and hit out at the Centre for ''scripting the arrest'' in the same fashion as of Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren over a month ago.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on the other hand termed it another milestone towards corruption-free India.

Kejriwal, 55, the first of a sitting chief minister, was arrested by the ED on Thursday night in an excise policy-linked money laundering case hours after the Delhi High Court refused to grant protection to the AAP national convenor from any coercive action by the agency.

Launching a scathing attack at the Centre for ''scripting the arrest'', JMM central committee spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharyya said all those who were vocal and the entire opposition will meet the same fate.

He demanded that the election notification be cancelled as ''it is end of democracy in India and there is no need for elections now.'' ''No opposition will be allowed in the country and days are not far off when the headquarters of all opposition parties would be surrounded by central forces,'' Bhattacharyya said.

''Political vendetta is unprecedented....The Election Commission of India and the President of India should take a call on whether democratic process should continue in India or not,'' Bhattacharyya said.

He said Soren was arrested in the same fashion as Kejriwal without giving time to seek legal help.

Soren was arrested on January 31 after a seven-hour grilling by the central agency in a money laundering case linked to alleged land scam, shortly after he resigned as the chief minister.

A special PMLA court on Thursday extended the judicial custody of Soren till April 4.

The JMM leader is lodged in the Birsa Munda Central Jail at Hotwar in Ranchi where he was taken on February 15 after ED remand.

Commenting on the arrest, BJP state president and former chief minister Babulal Marandi said all those who looted public money will not be spared.

''The arrest signifies that the justice system of our country does not bow before anyone, no matter how high a position that person holds...After Kejriwal ignored the summons nine times, the ED took action and made an arrest. This proves that all are equal before the law. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, all the corrupt will be sent to their rightful place (jail) and India will be free from corruption,'' Marandi said.

The 55-year-old leader's arrest, amid campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections, drew angry reactions from his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).