Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday addressed his first press conference and held roadshows for the Lok Sabha election campaign, a day after the Supreme Court granted him interim bail for 21 days.
Mr Kejriwal, the national convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money-laundering case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi liquor policy case.
Addressing a press conference at the AAP’s office in the national capital, he revealed why he didn’t resign, a Bharatiya Janata Party’s continuous demand since he was arrested on March 21.
“The chief minister’s post is not important for me. I did not step down as the chief minister because a conspiracy was hatched to force me to resign on a fake case,” Mr Kejriwal said.
आप सब लोगों के बीच वापस लौट कर मुझे बेहद ख़ुशी हो रही है। हमें मिलकर अपने देश को तानाशाही से बचाना है, मैं अपनी पूरी ताक़त से लड़ूँगा, मुझे देश के 140 करोड़ लोगों का समर्थन चाहिए। https://t.co/QbUWA5dBHF
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 11, 2024
The BJP had been attacking the Delhi Chief Minister for not stepping down from the chief minister’s post despite being in custody for 50 days.
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“If the prime minister wants to learn about fighting corruption, he should learn from Arvind Kejriwal. We sent the corrupt to jail and even our own ministers,” the AAP chief said.
“AAP Not Just A Party, It Is A Thought”
Arvind Kejriwal alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has “left no stone unturned to crush the AAP by sending its four top leaders to prison”.
He was the fourth senior AAP leader to spend time behind bars after Satyendar Jain, Manish Sisodia, and Sanjay Singh.
“They thought that the party would be finished. But AAP is not just a party, it is a thought, the more they destroy, the more our party will progress,” Mr Kejriwal asserted.
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He told the AAP supporters that no one had expected that he would be able to come out in the middle of the Lok Sabha elections. “But because of your prayers and blessings of Lord Hanuman I am among you all,” he added.
“Kejriwal has fought against corruption. We have not spared even our ministers in corruption cases. They were sent to jail without the opposition and the media knowing about it,” he said.
“Missed People Of Delhi A Lot”
Arvind Kejriwal held his first roadshow for the Lok Sabha election campaign in the South Delhi constituency and said that he “missed the people of Delhi a lot”.
“I have come straight to you after being released from jail. I missed people of Delhi a lot. I want to thank crores of people who prayed and sent blessings to me,” he said.
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 11, 2024
Mr Kejriwal recalled his 50 days in Tihar jail and said that his wife, Sunita Kejriwal, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, and his ministers used to come to meet him.
“I used to ask my ministers about the welfare of people while in jail. During my stay in jail, I used to think what was my fault that I was arrested. My fault was that I provided good schools and hospitals for people. I provided health facilities to people. They (BJP) stopped my insulin for 15 days in jail,” he said.
“They want to shut everything to paralyse the Delhi government,” he charged.
तानाशाही के ख़िलाफ़ पूरा देश एकजुट होकर लड़ने को तैयार है। लोकसभा चुनाव प्रचार के दौरान दक्षिण दिल्ली के महरौली में विशाल रोड-शो।
https://t.co/1uOBAc65Af— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 11, 2024
The Supreme Court has granted Arvind Kejriwal interim bail to enable him to campaign in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. He, however, has to surrender on June 2, a day after the last phase of the seven-phase poll will get over.
