Explained: This article explains the political background, key decisions, and possible outcomes related to Explained : Hailing court relief to Kejriwal, Opposition accuses BJP of ‘vendetta politics’ and Its Impact and why it matters right now.
Opposition leaders on Friday welcomed the court relief to former Delhi Chief Minister and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and others in the Delhi excise policy case. The court’s decision triggered sharp political reactions, with several leaders alleging that central investigative agencies had been misused to target Opposition figures.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin said the BJP-led NDA government “must not mortgage the integrity of investigating agencies for short-term politics” and asked it to “have some shame.” Congratulating Kejriwal and Sisodia, Stalin praised them for “standing firm through it all and letting the truth speak for itself”.
Leaders from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) also hailed the court’s decision. Party MP Saket Gokhale alleged that a “fake fabricated case” had been filed to defame Opposition leaders, claiming that arrests were intended to break their will and tarnish their reputations. Fellow TMC leader Mahua Moitra echoed similar sentiments, asserting that the BJP’s alleged tactic of using agencies such as the CBI and the ED for political purposes had been exposed. Gokhale further stated that the “Modi-Shah government will soon fall apart just like these fake cases,” while congratulating Kejriwal and Sisodia for what he described as a victory against injustice.
Saket Gokhale on X said, “Your TRUTH stands vindicated & we salute the courage you showed throughout this entire ordeal.”
The CPM also issued a statement supporting the court’s relief to the AAP leadership. The party alleged that the Modi government’s “weaponisation of investigating agencies as tools of political vendetta stands fully exposed once more.” It said after years of “fabricated charges, prolonged incarceration and vicious smear campaigns, the court has discharged Kejriwal and Sisodia in the so-called liquor ‘scam’ – proving no conspiracy, no criminal intent existed beyond the vendetta-driven witch-hunt against opposition voices”.
RJD MP Manoj Jha, reacting to Kejriwal’s acquittal, said when vendetta drove a case, this was how it ended. “I say with confidence that all the cases being pursued against many leaders, including myself, will meet the same fate,” he added.
Samajwadi Party chief and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav expressed his support for Kejriwal, stating that “both truth and justice stand with him.”
He said on X, “No allegation can ever be so large that it can overshadow the truth. Today, every honest person will breathe a sigh of hope, and supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party must be feeling deeply ashamed.”