In order to protest against arrest of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi Liquor Policy Scam, AAP leaders will go on hunger strike at Jantar Mantar Toady. On Wednesday, during a press conference, Gopal Rai, a cabinet minister in the Kejriwal government, called for a nationwide fast in solidarity with the arrest of the party's national convener.
AAP Party has called for a mass fast as a show of solidarity against the arrest of their party leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The protest will involve gatherings at Jantar Mantar in Delhi and Khatkar Kalan, the ancestral village of Shaheed Bhagat Singh in Punjab. AAP members including MLAs, ministers, MPs, councilors, and volunteers will refrain from eating during this protest.
Additionally, in Punjab, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will join the fast along with AAP MLAs and volunteers. The protest will also be supported in 25 states across India and in key international cities like New York, Boston, Toronto, Washington DC, Melbourne, and London, where supporters will participate in community fasting to show their support for Kejriwal.
About Delhi Excise Policy Scam
The Delhi excise policy scam involves accusations of corruption and money laundering in the development and implementation of the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22, which was later canceled. The case started when Delhi's Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar reported procedural irregularities to Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena in July 2022.
The report highlighted arbitrary decisions made by AAP leader Manish Sisodia, who was the Excise Minister, leading to financial losses estimated at over Rs 580 crore for the government. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's name has been mentioned in the charge sheets filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The ED alleges that the accused were in contact with Kejriwal while formulating the excise policy, which allegedly resulted in unjust benefits for them. In return, they are accused of paying kickbacks to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).