Anna Hazare reacts to Arvind Kejriwal's arrest: ‘Own deeds’

New Delhi: Social activist Anna Hazare, who spearheaded the Lokpal movement in the early 2010s along with Arvind Kejriwal, said on Friday that the latter was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate “because of his own deeds”.

The social activist from Maharashtra, who had become the face of the anti-corruption movement, said he is upset with Arvind Kejriwal.

Anna Hazare said they used to work against liquor and now he was formulating a policy for the same.

"I am very upset that Arvind Kejriwal, who used to work with me, raise his voice against liquor, is now making liquor policies. His arrest is because of his own deeds," said Hazare.

Hazare and Kejriwal had observed many fasts unto death during the agitation, demanding an anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal from the Congress government at the Centre.

Lakhs of people had rallied behind the two leaders. However, after the protest fizzled out, Kejriwal, and several other members of the non-profit India Against Corruption, formed the Aam Aadmi Party.

Hazare, who used to maintain that the protest wasn't political, had expressed unhappiness at Kejriwal's move to form the AAP.

Why was Arvind Kejriwal arrested?

The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday night arrested Kejriwal in an excise policy-linked money laundering case. This is the first time a serving chief minister has been arrested in India.

The Aam Aadmi Party has said that Arvind Kejriwal will not resign from the post and run the government from jail. The Bharatiya Janata Party, meanwhile, has demanded his resignation on moral grounds.

On Thursday night, a 10-member ED team raided Kejriwal's house and arrested him after 2-hour-long searches.

The agency moved against Kejriwal after the latter skipped nine summonses.

Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party has claimed that the Central government has placed Arvind Kejriwal's family under "house arrest".

The party has mounted a massive protest against Kejriwal's arrest in the national capital.