In a massive setback to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Arvind Kejriwal, the party's national convenor and Delhi chief minister, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the Delhi excise policy case on Thursday night. This is the most high-profile arrest in the case and makes him the first sitting chief minister to be arrested.

Earlier in the day, Kejriwal, who had skipped eight ED summons and in the agency's ninth summons, was asked to appear on March 21, moved a plea in the Delhi high court, seeking directions to the central agency to not take any coercive action against him. Though the HC posted the matter to be heard on April 22 next, it did not grant any relief to Kejriwal.

Following the arrest, the AAP staged protests in the national capital; the Opposition too condemned ED's action. While the AAP sought an urgent hearing in the Supreme Court, it was told there would be no midnight hearing. The party, meanwhile, has asked its workers to assemble for a protest outside it headquarters in Delhi's ITO at 10 am on Friday and stage nationwide demonstrations outside offices of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Also, in what would be a constitutional crisis, the AAP has already declared that its leader will continue to run his government from jail.