‘Stain on India’s democracy’: Foreign media points to ‘opposition crackdown’ over Kejriwal arrest

Arvind Kejriwal, the Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party chief, has been in the Enforcement Directorate custody for nine days in the liquor case. 

Since his arrest on March 21, weeks before the Lok Sabha elections, the Delhi CM has unsuccessfully moved the Delhi High Court challenging his “illegal” arrest, and the ED has been granted his remand twice – now till April 1. The ED has accused Kejriwal of being the “kingpin” of the alleged liquor excise scam case. But in the court hearing on Thursday, Kejriwal alleged that the ED was out to “crush” the AAP and create a “smokescreen” for its own extortion. 

The unfolding case has warranted reactions from the US and Germany, and now even the United Nations. It has also brought the foreign press to the front seats of Indian politics once again. 

Here’s what they said. 

‘Paralysing’ opposition, three opposition leaders arrested 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has “little reason to worry about the outcome” of the general elections beginning April 19 but “the government is not resting easy. It appears to have stepped up a campaign to quash dissent,” said UK magazine The Economist, in an article titled “Arvind Kejriwal’s imprisonment is a stain on India’s democracy”.  

It noted that Kejriwal is the third opposition leader to be arrested this year. The ED arrested BRS’s K Kavitha and JMM’s Hemant Soren in separate cases earlier this year.  

Modi’s popularity is “at an all-time high” and the BJP is expected to be re-elected “comfortably”, said the article, adding that while the PM is eyeing his third consecutive term, he may have become “even less tolerant of the opposition”.

It said the crackdown “unfortunately appears to be part of a broader pattern,” adding that three other AAP leaders have also been jailed and “none has been put on trial”.

A New York Times report also mentioned the arrest of Hemant Soren and the freezing of Congress accounts. 

The report published on the day of Kejriwal’s arrest said, “As the vote gets closer, opposition figures say they are fighting a tide of troubles from the government, including Mr Modi unleashing the country’s major investigating agencies against them while shielding those who switch to his side.”

It said Kejriwal’s arrest came soon after “India’s largest opposition party accused national authorities of paralyzing its political activities” by blocking its bank accounts. Citing critics, it said the Modi government’s actions are aimed at putting its “rivals at a disadvantage before a pivotal general election”.     

A Guardian report said the move “comes as the BJP stands accused of accelerating a crackdown on political opponents and creating an uneven playing field for the upcoming elections”. The report was titled “Indian opposition claim ‘conspiracy’ as Delhi chief minister arrested”.

“A Modi rival is arrested. Now, supporters of the opposition leader are protesting in India’s capital,” was the title of a report in The Associated Press. It said, “In the lead-up to the general election, which starts April 19, India’s opposition parties accuse the government of misusing its power to harass and weaken its political opponents. They point to a spree of raids, arrests and corruption investigations against key opposition figures.”

A report on France’s Le Monde, on the day of Kejriwal’s arrest, was titled “In India, the government again arrests an opposition figure”. It said, “The scenario deployed by the federal government is the same as that used against representatives of civil society who disturb those in power.”

“Amid arrests and raids of opposition leaders, critics and journalists, India has slipped in international democratic indices under Modi,” said a report in Al Jazeera, titled “‘Dead democracy’: Will Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest unite India’s opposition?”

Kejriwal as ‘political heavyweight’, ‘thorn’ on Modi’s side 

In another article, The Guardian pointed out that government critics say the ED is “one of several agencies that have been weaponised against the BJP’s political opposition”. It also described Kejriwal as a “thorn on the side” of Modi, and said the AAP “had repeatedly come into the crosshairs of the national government, which has increasingly shown itself intolerant of dissent”.

A profile of the AAP chief in the publication said, “Kejriwal’s swift rise from newcomer to political heavyweight, standing up against the might of the Narendra Modi government, has appeared to come at a cost.” It added that the case against him “was instigated by a powerful investigation agency under the control of the Modi government”. 

A CNN report called Kejriwal “Modi’s fiercest critics”. It said his arrest “comes as tensions run high ahead of a crucial nationwide election which begins on April 19, in which Modi is widely expected to leave the opposition languishing despite sharp criticism over his perceived erosion of the country’s democratic founding principles”.

Fox News described Kejriwal as “one of the country’s most consequential politicians of the past decade and a top rival of Modi”. The report was titled “India’s police detain dozens of protesters demanding release of opposition leader”

The report further said “Kejriwal’s AAP is part of a broad alliance of opposition parties called INDIA, the main challenger to Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in the coming election.”

A profile of Kejriwal on BBC was titled “Arvind Kejriwal: The maverick leader who took on India’s Modi”. It said, “In just over a decade, AAP, despite being a newcomer, has emerged as a formidable force.”

It also added that the party has secured “successive victories in Delhi's state elections since 2013 and expanded its influence by winning crucial polls in Punjab, where discontent against federal government policies prevails”.

The report detailed that Kejriwal is a “mechanical engineer from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur”, served as a government officer in the I-T department, and is also the recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay award “for using the RTI to ‘empower citizens to monitor and audit government projects and inspire local community action’”.

International scrutiny, Modi’s ‘flex’

“Calls for a fair and transparent trial of one of Narendra Modi’s political rivals come amid concerns India is becoming less tolerant of dissent,” said a Wall Street Journal report titled “Arrest of Indian Opposition Leader Draws US Scrutiny”.

The Guardian said the US has “generally been careful in remarks about India, which it sees as a growing partner, despite concerns voiced by rights groups about the country’s direction under Modi, a Hindu nationalist heavily favoured to win a new mandate”.

A Foreign Policy report titled “Modi flexes muscle as elections approach” noted that the “recent moves that stymie the political opposition will likely fire up the ruling party’s base”. The article also mentioned Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s suspension from the parliament last year and the recent blocking of Congress accounts. 

“Some observers say these developments suggest a nervous Modi is taking steps to better shape the electoral environment in his favor,” said the article, adding that contrarily Modi “knows that his actions won’t hurt him politically”. 

“Modi government’s recent moves reflect confidence about the election rather than concern. Whether the prime minister genuinely seeks to curb corruption within the political ranks or is simply using it as a pretext to sideline his rivals, he knows that his actions won’t hurt him politically.”

It further said that “aside from Gandhi, the leaders recently targeted in India don’t have massive national followings, and their parties’ clout is geographically limited”.

Foreign missions, UN on Kejriwal arrest 

Meanwhile, days after Kejriwal’s arrest, the US state department said it “encourages fair, transparent, timely legal processes”. The remark sparked India’s “strong objection” and summons to the US envoy. 

But days later, the state department spokesperson Matthew Miller reiterated Washington’s stand and said they “continue to follow these actions closely”. He also mentioned the freezing of the Congress bank accounts. Notably, the Income Tax department froze the opposition party’s accounts, reportedly, up to Rs 125 crore, in February.    

Speaking at a press briefing, Miller said, “We continue to follow these actions closely, including the arrest of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. We are also aware of the Congress party’s allegations that tax authorities have frozen some of their bank accounts in a manner that will make it challenging to effectively campaign in the upcoming elections. And we encourage fair, transparent and timely legal processes for each of these issues.” 

Before the US government’s remarks, Germany foreign office spokesperson Sebastian Fischer said that they “assume and expect” that the standards relating to judiciary’s independence and “basic democratic principles” will be applied in Kejriwal’s case. “Like anyone facing accusations, Kejriwal is entitled to a fair and impartial trial.” 

Following the comment, India issued a demarche to Germany, and also summoned its envoy. 

The United Nations has also weighed in. During a press interaction, UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres’s spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said they hope that in India, “everyone’s rights are protected, including political and civil rights”, like in any country going to polls. She said people must be able to vote in a “free and fair” atmosphere.