Arvind Kejriwal, the leader of the Aam Aadmi (Common Man) Party (AAP) in India, has been arrested.
Kejriwal serves as the chief minister (equivalent to Premier) of Delhi. His AAP holds 62 of the 70 seats in the Delhi legislature.
He was arrested on Thursday over allegations of corruption around policies regarding alcohol sales in Delhi. Kejriwal has denied any wrongdoing.
Opposition leaders in the country have said that the arrest is politically motivated, ahead of elections due in a few months, which the governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is expected to win fairly easily.
Rahul Gandhi, a leading member of the biggest opposition party, the Indian National Congress (INC), said on Twitter: ‘A scared dictator wants to create a dead democracy.’ Gandhi’s great-grandfather, grandmother, and father all served as Indian Prime Ministers.
In another blow to Indian democracy, the INC said that its bank accounts had been frozen, making its work very difficult ahead of the upcoming general election.
In recent years, critics have said the BJP is increasingly closing down the democratic space in India, with crackdowns on the media as well as on religious minorities.