Fearing INDIA bloc, Modi govt arrested Sanjay Singh without proof: AAP's Gopal Rai

New Delhi: Fear of defeat by INDIA bloc pushed the BJP government to get AAP MP Sanjay Singh hastily arrested "without any evidence", Delhi Minister Gopal Rai said here on Thursday.

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters here, AAP leader and Delhi government minister Gopal Rai said, "The Modi government, driven by the fear of defeat at the hands of INDIA bloc, hastily arrested Singh without any proof."

Drawing a similarity, Rai said that just like former deputy chief minister and party leader Manish Sisodia's case, where the Enforcement Directorate (ED) found nothing, in Singh's case too, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) found nothing in their raids.

“Yet, he was arrested due to orders from higher authorities," the AAP leader alleged.

He also said that just as the BJP suffered a humbling defeat against AAP in the MCD elections in the national capital, the INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) will also defeat BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

"History teaches us that if someone starts dreaming of winning elections by imprisoning people for power, they should be prepared for their bail to be forfeited," he said.

"Why did this arrest happen? The BJP spokespersons have been propagating the same agenda that they have been peddling for the last one and half years. Since INDIA has come to inception a new situation has arisen. People of the country were expecting that the BJP-led Modi government would solve the crisis of unemployment and inflation but the BJP government failed terribly to solve such pressing issues," he said.

He also targetted the government and said, "There is a fear of ED-CBI being created by the central government against those who will dare to speak up against the rising inflation, poverty, and unemployment in the country. Singh has made a clear distinction that he shall choose death over fear," he said.

"Even if the central government arrests all the AAP leaders, we will not bow down. AAP has neither succumbed in the past, nor will in future. We're ready to be put behind bars, but not to bow down against your threats and authoritarianism. We've been raising our voice for the country, its constitution and democracy and will keep doing so," Rai added.

His remarks follows Singh's arrest by the ED on Wednesday evening after a day-long search at his residence in the national capital in the liquor scam case.

Singh is the second top leader of the party after Sisodia to be arrested by the ED in the case.

The ED's case is based on the CBI FIR filed in August last year against 15 accused. It has also filed multiple charge sheets in the case.