West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday strongly criticised the arrest of her Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), labeling it a calculated assault on opposition chief ministers while tainted leaders with connections to the BJP remained untouched.
Banerjee, the TMC supremo, announced that representatives of the 'INDIA' bloc would be meeting the Election Commission to voice their objection to the arrests of opposition leaders.
"I vehemently condemn the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal, the sitting Chief Minister of Delhi elected by the people. I have personally reached out to Smt Sunita Kejriwal to extend my unwavering support and solidarity," Banerjee posted on X.
She further denounced the selective targeting of elected opposition chief ministers while people facing investigations by the CBI and ED were permitted to continue their activities unchecked, particularly after aligning with the BJP.
"It's outrageous that while elected opposition CMs are being deliberately targeted and arrested, individuals accused under CBI/ED investigations are allowed to continue their malpractices with impunity, especially after aligning with the BJP. This is a blatant assault on democracy," she added.
Regarding the meeting with the EC, Banerjee nominated party MPs Derek O'Brien and Mohamed Nadimul Haque to represent the party.
"Today, our INDIA alliance will convene with the EC to strongly oppose the deliberate targeting and arrests of opposition leaders, especially during the model code of conduct (MCC) period. To this end, I have designated @derekobrienmp and @MdNadimulHaque6 to represent @AITCofficial in this crucial meeting with the Election Commission," she added.
Arvind Kejriwal, the AAP's national convenor, was arrested by the ED on Thursday night in connection with a money laundering case related to excise policy.
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