Kejriwal will run govt from prison, says Delhi Assembly Speaker

New Delhi: Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel said on Thursday that as decided earlier, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will run the government and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) from prison in case of his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Incidentally, soon after the Speaker made the remarks, the ED arrested Kejriwal from his residence after a two-hour grilling in connection with the alleged excise policy scam.

“Everyone is aware that Manish Sisodia was arrested without any evidence against him. Additionally, hundreds of people have been detained by the ED so far. The aim is to silence Arvind Kejriwal before the elections,” said Goel.

Meanwhile, scores of AAP workers and leaders, including MLAs Atishi and Saurabh Bhardwaj, were seen protesting near Kejriwal's residence on Thursday evening, as the ED team questioned the Chief Minister over his alleged involvement in the excise policy case.

AAP MLA Imran Hussain said there appears to be a deliberate plot to hinder the progress of AAP and Arvind Kejriwal.

“The people of Delhi have a strong affection for Arvind Kejriwal and they will react strongly against the agency action and the BJP,” Hussain said.

AAP spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar said that the BJP's 'actions' reflect desperation, as it is unable to compete with Kejriwal.

"They aim to prevent Arvind Kejriwal from participating in the Lok Sabha elections," Kakkar said.