Delhi CM Kejriwal's Arrest Is A Diversion From Electoral Bonds 'Scam': Kerala CM Vijayan

According to Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, “The centre, BJP, Sangh Parivar, they all are aware that the SC's verdict on the electoral bond scam was detrimental to them. They aimed to shift the focus from this issue."

Kerala’s Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday termed the electoral bonds scam as the most significant corruption case India has ever seen. He further claimed that the BJP government at the Centre arrested Delhi’s Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, as a diversionary tactic from this scandal. During the third rally in a row organized by the CPI(M) against the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), Vijayan accused the BJP-led Central government and the Sangh Parivar of showing little respect for the country’s rule of law. He suggested that the Sangh Parivar is attempting to seize control of Constitutional institutions and even intimidate the judiciary.

According to Vijayan, “The Union government, BJP, Sangh Parivar, they all are aware that the Supreme Court’s verdict on the electoral bond scam was detrimental to them. They aimed to shift the focus from this issue, and for that, they arrested Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.”

Vijayan recalled that when the concept of electoral bonds was introduced, the CPI(M) had opposed it, viewing it as a corruption tool, and had taken the matter to the Supreme Court. “The electoral bonds scam is the most significant corruption ever witnessed in India. How did they muster the audacity to engage in such overt corruption? They (BJP) believed they would never be held accountable,” he added.

With Kejriwal’s arrest, Vijayan believes the Sangh Parivar is attempting to convey that they are above the country’s law and will go to any lengths to execute their agenda.

Discussing the anti-CAA protests of 2019 and the subsequent violence and riot in Delhi, Vijayan referred to the inflammatory slogans of Union Minister Anurag Thakur and highlighted that it was the CPI(M) that filed a case against him.

Vijayan criticized the Congress for its stance on the CAA. He alleged that while the entire country was protesting against the contentious Act, Congress MPs were attending a feast organized by the party president. “During the protests, none of the Congress leaders were present. Rahul Gandhi was abroad. It was the Left leaders who were arrested by the Delhi Police. At that time, we had only one MP, A M Arif from Alappuzha who spoke against the CAA. Now, the Congress leaders are claiming that they had technically opposed the Act,” Vijayan said.

Vijayan accused the Sangh Parivar of instigating violence against the anti-CAA protesters in Delhi, with the BJP government at the Centre silently permitting the rioters. “Around 53 people were killed, many went missing, over hundreds were injured in the riots. The houses, shops, establishments of numerous Muslims were attacked in the violence orchestrated by the Sangh Parivar,” he said.

Vijayan asserted that the CAA was an RSS agenda being implemented by the BJP government.

The Left party is organizing massive anti-CAA rallies at five locations in the state. The first rally took place in Kozhikode on March 22, followed by one in Kasaragod district on Saturday. Two more rallies are scheduled in the coming days in Malappuram and Kollam.

The CAA was passed in December 2019 and subsequently received the President’s assent. However, it sparked protests in several parts of the country, with many opposition parties speaking out against the law, labeling it “discriminatory”. The CAA aims to expedite citizenship for undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan who arrived in India before December 31, 2014.