Social activist Anna Hazare on March 22 said that he had cautioned Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, currently arrested in the excise policy case, to refrain from involvement in such policy matters.
Mr. Hazare, a key figure in the Lokpal movement alongside Mr. Kejriwal in the early 2010s, stated that the Delhi Chief Minister’s arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was a consequence of his own actions.
Arvind Kejriwal arrest updates March 22
“I advised him that our focus should not be on crafting excise policy. It’s common knowledge that alcohol is detrimental. I urged him to steer clear of this issue but he proceeded with the policy,” he said.
The social activist said that he was deeply disappointed that Mr. Kejriwal, once a colleague in advocating against alcohol, was now formulating liquor policies. “His arrest is a result of his own actions,” he said at his village, Ralegan-Siddhi in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar district.
Mr. Kejriwal seemed driven by the prospect of financial gain, which led him to devise this policy; it saddened me, Mr. Hazare said.
“If he hadn’t taken any steps, there wouldn’t have been any grounds for his arrest. Now, the legal process will unfold, and the government will act accordingly,” the 86-year-old said.
On Wednesday evening, the Delhi Chief Minister was arrested by ED in an excise policy-linked money laundering case.
