Himachal Pradesh: AAP leaders observe daylong fast against Kejriwal's arrest

AAP leaders observed a daylong fast near the deputy commissioner's office here and at several other places in Himachal Pradesh to protest against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's arrest by the ED.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) state president Surjit Singh Thakur said the entire country stands with Kejriwal, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21 in a money-laundering case linked to the now-scrapped excise policy for Delhi.

''This is not only the murder of democracy but also the murder of the Constitution,'' Thakur said.

He alleged that the Narendra Modi government at the Centre is coercing opposition leaders into joining the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) either by threatening them or by using agencies, such as the ED, against them.

''Those providing good healthcare facilities and education are being jailed while the corrupt and rapists are roaming freely and no case has been lodged against any BJP leader till now,'' Thakur said.

He alleged that when AAP leaders decided to stand against the BJP-led Centre and refused to join the saffron party, the latter resorted to vendetta politics and started getting AAP leaders arrested one by one.

Thakur further said the AAP opposes the BJP's tactic to keep opposition leaders away from contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha polls and will continue to raise awareness among people regarding the protection of the Constitution.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)