Thiruvananthapuram, March 22 (IANS): On Friday top political leaders of the CPI(M)-led Left and the Congress-led UDF took to the streets to protest the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the excise policy case on Thursday night.

While CPI(M) state Secretary, MV Govindan, shouting anti-BJP slogans led the protest at Kannur, in the state capital it was the UDF led by its Convener, MM Hassan, who marched towards the official residence of Kerala Governor, Arif Mohammad Khan.

MV Govindan said the CM Kejriwal behind bars will be stronger than CM Kejriwal outside.

Veteran Congress legislator, Ramesh Chennithala, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was going the Russian President, Vladimir Putin’s way and arresting Opposition leaders.

Thiruvananthapuram Congress MP, Shashi Tharoor, said it was baffling to note that “this arrest has taken place soon after the Lok Sabha poll dates were announced.”

Angry AAP activists took to the streets at Palakkad and stopped the traffic on the National Highway to Coimbatore and at Kochi they protested before the ED’s office, shouting slogans.

State BJP President, K Surendran, said that what one sees and hears in Kerala on the arrest of CM Kejriwal by both the CPI(M) and Congress is “hypocrisy.”

“Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is crying for no reason and what’s surprising is the way the Congress has reacted here. Wish to ask if Leader of Opposition, VD Satheesan, will cry the same way when the present cases probed by the ED against the CPI(M) leaders and those close to them, reach finality. This is nothing but hypocrisy as the Delhi liquor policy case is a very corrupt one,” alleged K Surendran.