Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal headed back to a cell in the Tihar Jail on Sunday as his interim relief period of 21 days was over. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo was sent to judicial custody till June 5. Kejriwal was granted interim bail by the Supreme Court to campaign for the Lok Sabha elections on May 10 following his arrest in connection to the now-scrapped Delhi liquor policy scam case.
Kejriwal returns to prison a day after the opposition INDIA bloc meeting and also a day after a Delhi court reserved its verdict on the extension of his interim bail plea by seven more days.
In an address to party workers he dismissed the exit polls which forecast a grim picture for the INDIA bloc parties including AAP.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, top Delhi ministers, MPs of the party and party office bearers reached the chief minister’s residence shortly after 2 pm. The party’s Political Affairs Committee held a meeting chaired by the AAP national convener.
Kejriwal after leaving his residence made three stops before surrendering before Tihar Jail authorities. He paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat and then headed towards the Hanuman Temple at Connaught place to offer prayers along with wife Sunita Kejriwal.
The AAP party office was adorned with national flags when the Delhi CM reached the party office.
“All exit polls are false. One exit poll gave them 33 out of a total of 25 seats in Rajasthan. It is important to note that why did they have to show fake exit polls just three days ahead of counting?” the embattled AAP supremo asked.
“They are playing mind games. They are not forming a government on June 4,” the Delhi Chief Minister said.
Kejriwal asked AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak and other leaders of INDIA bloc to ensure that the counting agents of respective parties demonstrate patience and stay put till the end even if their candidate is losing and match 5% of slips.
While addressing party workers, Kejriwal invoked freedom fighter Bhagat Singh and said like the revolutionary who challenged British colonialism, he too is challenging ‘tyranny’.
“We are disciples of Bhagat Singh. Bhagat Singh went to jail to free the country, I am going to jail to save the country. Bhagat Singh was also hanged, I am also ready to be hanged. This time I don’t know when I will come back and what these people will do to me in jail. But I will not bow down,” Kejriwal said.
“Mahatma Gandhi saved this country from Tanashahi. I have prayed at Rajghat. I went to Hanuman Mandir. I have prayed to Bajrangbali. His blessings are upon this party and me,” he further added.
Kejriwal held a short meeting with party leaders and left for Tihar jail accompanied by his wife Sunita and kids Harshita and Pulkit and with other party cadres.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) named Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as accused in the case and have booked them under various provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
With inputs from News18
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