Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday said the arrest of Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was an attack on democracy and alleged that the central agencies were being used by the Union government to intimidate opposition-ruled states and their leaders.
Vijayan accused the Centre of targeting opposition-ruled states to divert attention from serious issues of unemployment, price rise and economic crisis and urged people to raise their voice against such measures that will affect federal polity and democracy.
“The arrest of Manish Sisodia by CBI is another example of how the ruling BJP misuses the central agencies to intimidate the opposition. It’s a blatant abuse of power and an attack on democracy. Such repression undermines the very foundation of our nation and should be resisted,” the CM said in a tweet.
Arrested in connection with alleged malpractices in Delhi excise policy on Sunday, Sisodia was remanded to the CBI custody by a court in New Delhi on Monday. Condemning the arrest Aam Adami Party (AAP) workers took out protest rallies in many parts of the country.