In a show of solidarity and protest against the recent arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the Delhi Liquor Policy Case, Kerala Congress workers, led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, took to the streets in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. The arrest of Arvind Kejriwal has not only triggered outrage among his supporters but has also reignited discussions about the autonomy of state governments and the role of federalism in India's political landscape. In a massive setback to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Arvind Kejriwal, the party's national convenor and Delhi chief minister, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the Delhi excise policy case on Thursday night. This is the most high-profile arrest in the case and makes him the first sitting chief minister to be arrested.
Earlier in the day, Kejriwal, who had skipped eight ED summons and in the agency's ninth summons, was asked to appear on March 21, moved a plea in the Delhi high court, seeking directions to the central agency to not take any coercive action against him. Though the HC posted the matter to be heard on April 22 next, it did not grant any relief to Kejriwal. Following the arrest, the AAP staged protests in the national capital. Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, representing Kejriwal, brought up the matter before a bench led by Justice Sanjiv Khanna, requesting permission to withdraw the plea due to scheduling conflicts with the simultaneous hearing in the top court and the remand proceedings scheduled before the trial court later in the day. Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on Thursday following a late night search at his residence. Previously, the Delhi high court had denied him interim protection from arrest. An ED team reached Kejriwal's residence to serve him a summons earlier in the evening. The Delhi Police heightened security around his residence following the developments. Earlier today Delhi high court refused to grant protection to Kejriwal from any coercive action by the agency.