June 27th 2024.
On Thursday, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) members of Parliament decided to boycott President Droupadi Murmu's address to the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. This was in response to the recent arrest of their party convenor, Arvind Kejriwal, by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday. Kejriwal was arrested for his alleged involvement in an excise policy scam that the CBI is currently investigating.
The MPs of the AAP made it clear that their boycott was not out of disrespect for the President, but rather as a form of protest against the arrest of their party leader. They also claimed that the President's address was written by the Central government, further fueling their decision to boycott. Outside the Parliament, the AAP MPs held up signs that read 'Stop Misuse of ED and CBI', 'No to Dictatorship', and 'Release Kejriwal', while chanting 'PM, Give us Answers'.
Sanjay Singh, an AAP MP, stated that the protest was against the dictatorial actions of the government and to protect the principles of the Constitution and democracy. He pointed out that an elected Chief Minister had been arrested and imprisoned, and urged the Prime Minister to put an end to the misuse of investigative agencies and release Kejriwal.
Singh also clarified that their boycott of the President's address did not mean they were shirking their responsibilities as MPs. On the contrary, they would actively participate in discussions and hold the government accountable.
Meanwhile, Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, an AAP MP from Sangrur, condemned the current state of democracy under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He accused the government of openly misusing investigative agencies in various states, including Delhi, West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Maharashtra.
Hayer also highlighted the cases of other AAP members who have been arrested and imprisoned without any valid reason, such as Education Minister Manish Sisodia, Health Minister Satyendar Jain, and AAP MP Sanjay Singh. He emphasized that this was a dangerous trend for the country's democracy and questioned the hurried arrest of Kejriwal by the CBI, despite the possibility of him getting bail from the Supreme Court.
He further described this as a clear example of dictatorship and stated that the AAP was in discussions with their allies to raise their voice against the government's actions. In the end, President Murmu addressed the joint sitting of Parliament, marking the beginning of the 18th Lok Sabha.
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