Top Indian opposition leader given bail by the Supreme Court enabling him to campaign in elections

NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s top court granted interim bail to a top opposition leader Friday who was arrested nearly seven weeks ago, in a bribery case that opposition parties called a political move by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government against his rivals during a national election.

Arvind Kejriwal, the leader of the Aam Aadmi Party, or Common Man’s Party, is the top elected official in the city of New Delhi and one of the country’s most consequential politicians of the past decade.

The court ordered Kejriwal’s release on interim bail enabling him to campaign in the country’s national election until the voting ends on June 1, Kejriwal’s attorney said.

He was arrested by the federal Enforcement Directorate, India’s main financial investigation agency, on March 21. The agency, controlled by Modi’s government, accused Kejriwal’s party and ministers of accepting 1 billion rupees ($12 million) in bribes from liquor contractors nearly two years ago. The arrest triggered days of protests by party activists supported by other opposition parties.

Kejriwal, who has remained as New Delhi’s chief minister, has denied the accusations. His Aam Aadmi Party is part of a broad alliance of opposition parties called INDIA, which is the main challenger to Modi’s governing Bharatiya Janata Party in India’s six-week-long general election, which began last month.

Kejriwal’s case was the first time that a chief minister in India was arrested while in office. His arrest, which occurred before the start of the Indian election, dominated headlines for weeks.

His lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi said he was a “serving” chief minister and not a “habitual offender” and deserved to be released to campaign. Kejriwal’s deputy, Manish Sisodia, was also