The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday reacted to social activist Anna Harare’s remarks on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest by Enforcement Directorate (ED), saying they were pained and sad by comments and behaviour made by such an octogenarian activist.

Speaking to a reporter, AAP leader Dilip Pandey called his remarks very unfortunate and said he is respected by all the people of his party but it’s sad and AAP is also pained sometimes when people like Himanta Biswa Sarma against whom the BJP has campaigned in the past gets into the BJP and become the CM, no one raise the voice.

The AAP leader also reminded that when people like Ajit Pawar get along with the BJP, this very respected person, Anna Hazare, says nothing. This behaviour is painful and sad Pandey added.  

The AAP’s reaction comes hours after a social activist commented on Kejriwal’s arrest saying that the Delhi CM’s arrest was because of his own deeds. Notably, Hazare led the Lokpal movement alongside APP chief Kejriwal in the early 2010s against the then Congress-led Central government.

Speaking on Delhi CM Kejriwal’s arrest, Hazare earlier in the day, said that he was very upset that AAP chief Kejriwal, who used to work with him, raised his voice against liquor, is now making liquor policies. His arrest is because of his own deeds, he emphasised.

Hazare and Kejriwal had garnered the support of lakhs of people. But once the rally fizzled out, Kejriwal founded the AAP alongside several other activists from the nonprofit India Against Corruption.

Social activist Hazare, who had previously insisted that the protest was non-political, had voiced his displeasure with Kejriwal’s decision to form the AAP.

To expose the purported corruption of the Congress government at the time, Kejriwal joined the Anna movement in 2011. After that, he became popular, founded his own political party, and contested for chief minister’s office in 2012.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today said his life is devoted to the country, regardless of whether he is in jail or not, in his first statement following his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the liquor policy case.

As he was being led by the Enforcement Directorate to court, the AAP chief answered a question from media in Hindi by saying, his life is dedicated to the country. He will keep serving the nation even if he is behind bars, he added.

Following a night in ED prison, Kejriwal appeared in Delhi’s Rouse Avenue court today. The financial crime fighting agency has accused the chief minister of being the kingpin and a major conspirator in the scheme, and is requesting 10-day custody of him.

His party claimed that Kejriwal’s arrest, was the result of a conpiracy, and the party has planned protests around the country.

Meanwhile, Kejriwal became the first chief minister to be detained while in office when he was taken into custody by the Enforcement Directorate on Thursday night at around 9o’clock. The now-scrapped Delhi liquor policy of 2021–22 is the subject of the money-laundering case that led to his detention. The investigation agency claims that he and his party accepted bribes in return for favors.

The ED claims that Rs 600 crore was made total from the crime. It has been asserted that the Delhi liquor policy gave retailers a nearly 185% profit margin and wholesalers an extraordinarily high profit margin of 12%. Six of the 12% were supposed to be recovered from wholesalers as kickbacks for AAP representatives, while another accused in the case, Vijay Nair, who was associated with the ruling party in Delhi, was allegedly given Rs 100 crore in advance by a lobby known as the South Group.

It is claimed that BRS leader K Kavitha, who was detained by the ED last week, belonged to the South Group.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a warm welcome with a Gujarati Garba performance by the youngsters at the Thimphu Hotel in Bhutan on Friday. The performers danced to the song, Garbo, penned by PM Modi himself.

The Prime Minister arrived in Bhutan earlier today on a two-day State visit to further strengthen India’s unique relations with the Himalayan nation as part of the country’s Neighbourhood First Policy. PM Modi was welcomed by Bhutan PM Tshering Tobgay.

During PM Modi’s visit, a special welcome was given to him as a group of performers from Bhutan danced to the song, Garba, written by him recently, as per the officials.

PM Modi was seen enjoying their performance with rapt attention and applauded at the end of the performance. Modi also greeted the officials gathered at the hotel located in the capital of Bhutan, Thimphu.

Indian culture and songs featured prominently in the cultural celebrations at the Tashichho Dzong in Thimphu, during PM Modi’s two-day State visit to Bhutan. Gujarati songs and Hindi songs were used during the performance.

PM Modi was also conferred with Bhutan’s highest civilian honour. With this honour, PM Modi has become the first foreign Head of Government to receive Bhutan’s highest civilian award. The King of Bhutan conferred the Order of the Druk Gyalpo on PM Modi.

As per ranking and precedence established, the Order of the Druk Gyalpo was instituted as the decoration for lifetime achievement and is the pinnacle of the honour system in Bhutan, taking precedence over all orders, decorations and medals.

Bhutan PM Tobgay congratulated PM Modi for receiving Bhutan’s highest civilian award on behalf of the entire country and all the Bhutanese people. Speaking on the occasion, Bhutan’s PM said that his country is deeply grateful that PM Modi visited Bhutan despite his busy schedule. Bhutan had some problems with the weather, but he overcame that and today he arrived in person to receive the award.

In addition, PM Modi, whom he refers to as his elder brother, has offered his support, and his government’s assistance, for their 13 five-year plan. And for that, on behalf of all the people of Bhutan, he offered his gratitude to PM Modi and the people of India.

Ministry of External Affairs earlier this week said that the visit will provide an opportunity for both sides to exchange views on bilateral and regional matters of interest and deliberate on ways to expand and intensify the country’s exemplary partnership for the benefit of its people.