NEWDELHI: In a big boost to Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the authorities to release the party’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh on bail during the pendency of trial in a money laundering case relating to excise policy irregularities matter. The bail was granted to Sanjay Singh six months after he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). During Singh’s bail hearing, the central agency said it had no objection to his release.
Singh was arrested on October 4, 2023, in connection with the Delhi excise policy case. He was the third AAP leader to be arrested in the case, following former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and the party’s communications in-charge Vijay Nair. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, too, is lodged in the Tihar jail in connection with the case after a court sent him to judicial custody till April 15, following his arrest by the ED on March 21.
AAP MLAs Meet Sunita Kejriwal, Say ‘Delhi CM Should Not Resign’
As many as 55 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs met the Delhi Chief Minister’s wife Sunita Kejriwal at his residence on Tuesday and told her that “under no circumstances should the CM resign”. They said that the “government can run from jail.” Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj told the media that approximately two dozen MLAs kept their perspective in front of the Delhi Chief Minister’s wife on running the government in the national capital. The MLAs told Sunita Kejriwal that “a campaign will be started by the Opposition in which they will demand his resignation”. Bharadwaj added that the MLAs asked Sunita to inform the chief minister that “All the MLAs stand by him and he will continue to remain the chief minister. On her turn, Sunita Kejriwal passed on the Delhi CM’s message to the MLAs and said, “He is proud of the success of the rally at the Ramlila Maidan and he is more stronger now”.
BJP Hits Out At Atishi, Demands Proof
BJP on Tuesday hit back at Delhi Minister Atishi shortly after she alleged that she was approached by the saffron party to join them or else she’d be arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in the coming days. BJP MP Manoj Tiwari said, “People of Delhi are understanding it very well, there is a saying in English that thieves have been exposed. Their CM Arvind Kejriwal said Vijay Nair used to report to Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj. Nair who is a key factor in the liquor scam used to report to them.” “If the kingpin of this entire scam is saying that these people are involved, they should be interrogated…BJP has zero tolerance against corruption. PM Narendra Modi, BJP’s stand is to remove corruption…” he added.
His party colleague and senior advocate Nalin Kohli also took a swipe at AAP leader Atishi and said, “…Atishi must be worried that the Aam Aadmi Party supreme leader Arvind Kejriwal seems to have taken her name and Saurabh Bharadwaj’s name saying the middlemen used to meet them. If that is the case, their own leader is pointing a finger towards them. You just can’t turn around and attack the BJP on some false allegation or false narrative in the hope that the questions that are being asked will not be asked,” he added.”
AAP MLAs To Meet Delhi CM’s Wife
Amid fast-paced developments in Delhi, all Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs will arrive at the residence of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal shortly and meet his wife Sunita Kejriwal.
BJP Is Scared After Ramlila Maidan Rally: Saurabh Bharadwaj
Delhi Minister and AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj said, “…What was seen at Ramlila Maidan on 31st March, shocked the BJP. The biggest leaders of India’s opposition parties gathered on that stage…All the senior leaders of our party are in jail – Atishi, Durgesh Pathak, Sandeep Pathak and I are the younger lot. We called up these leaders and requested them to come, that our senior leaders are in jail and we are doing a ‘maharally’ in Delhi…All the leaders said that they would definitely be there and they did…BJP says that they did everything to us that they had to do. They executed their plan and arrested all our big leaders but the party is still standing…BJP knows that the people won’t be scared to cast their votes. Today, the people of the country are scared and it is a matter of grave concern for the country. People used to be scared during British rule…The British scared us with the threat of jail and ruled us. Today, the BJP government at the centre has become almost like that…”
More AAP Leaders Will Be Arrested, Claims Atishi
Amid political bickering over the excise policy case, Delhi Minister and AAP leader Atishi on Tuesday claimed that the ruling BJP at the Centre approached her with an offer to join the saffron party and warned that she would be arrested if she failed to do so. “BJP through one of my close aides approached me to join their party to save my political career and If I do not join the BJP then in the coming one month I will be arrested by ED,” Delhi Minister Atishi said in a press conference.
Atishi revealed that the BJP will now target the next line of AAP leaders and will arrest her, Saurabh Bharadwaj, Durgesh Pathak and Raghav Chadha. The AAP leader further claimed that the BJP also threatened that her house would be raided by the central agencies and more AAP leaders would be arrested. “In the coming two months before the Lok Sabha elections, they will arrest 4 more AAP leaders – Saurabh Bharadwaj, Atishi, Durgesh Pathak and Raghav Chadha…,” Atish said during her press conference.
“I have been told that soon there will be ED raids at our residence and then we will be taken into custody. The BJP is now targeting the next line of the leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party,” Atishi said. Atishi went on to say that the BJP expected the AAP to crumble after Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest but they got scared seeing the opposition parties coming together in the Ramlila Maidan on Sunday. “so now they want to target the next line of leadership.”
“I want to tell the BJP that we will not be scared of you. We are the soldiers of Arvind Kejriwal. We are aides of Bhagat Singh. We will continue to save the Constitution and will work to give the people a better life under the leadership of Arvind Kejriwal,” she said.
he Rouse Avenue Court sent the AAP supremo to judicial custody till April 15 in an alleged money laundering case linked to the Delhi excise policy case yesterday. Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate about the excise policy case. However, the AAP leaders sharpened their attacks soon after. In a post on X, Atishi said, “I will be doing an explosive expose at 10 am tomorrow.”
Arvind Kejriwal Arrest: AAP Slams BJP
Atishi on March 23 claimed that a money trail was discovered in the BJP’s account. She then challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to “arrest” BJP national president JP Nadda. Atishi emphasized that, up to that point, no money trail had been found connected to any AAP leader. “In the so-called excise policy scam of Delhi, CBI and ED investigations have been going on for the past two years. In these two years, a question has come up again and again Where is the money trail? Where did the money go? No proceeds of crime were recovered from any leader, minister or worker of AAP,” Atishi said.
Additionally, she claimed that Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest was based solely on the testimony of one individual, Sharad Chandra Reddy. Atishi went on to disclose that Sarath Chandra Reddy had donated Rs 4.5 crore in bonds to the BJP, emphasizing that no illegal funds were discovered during the ED’s search at the Delhi Chief Minister’s residence.
Kejriwal’s Arrest A ‘Lesson’ For Congress, Says Kerala CM
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, a key face of INDIA bloc’s alliance partner CPI(M), has said that the arrest of his Delhi counterpart and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal has turned out to be a lesson for the Congress. “When Manish Sisodia was arrested by ED, Congress back then complained for not arresting Kejriwal. They asked “Why are they not arrest Kejriwal? He was leading the scam.” This was Congress’ stand back then. That continued for a good time span. Now, they have changed their stands. I am not questioning Congress’ current stand, but they should have admitted that their stand was wrong back then,” Vijayan said.
4 Security Personnel To Guard Delhi CM, Kejriwal Allowed To Watch TV, Home-Cooked Food
Kejriwal, housed in Tihar’s jail No. 2, will be allowed to have home-cooked food as ordered by the court. He will also get to read books and watch Television. The Delhi CM will be under watch for 24 hours as a CCTV camera has also been installed in his cell. Kejriwal will also be guarded by four personnel round the clock in shifts. According to Tihar officials, an inmate starts his day with tea, biscuits and snacks including ‘dalia’ between 7 and 8 am. The lunch either has chapati or rice along with dal and one vegetable.
Delhi Excise Policy Case: BJP Alleges Power Struggle In AAP
On Monday, Bharatiya Janata Party MP Manoj Tiwari asserted that AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal has unveiled an internal power struggle within the party. Tiwari alleged that Kejriwal has implicated Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj by suggesting they were the individuals Vijay Nair reported to.
According to Tiwari, Kejriwal’s actions signify an internal power struggle within the AAP, as Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj are not stepping back from their pursuit of the Chief Minister post. Tiwari further alleges that Kejriwal’s motive is to clear the path for his wife to assume the role of Chief Minister, indicating a division within the party’s ranks.
Excise Policy Case Live: Delhi CM Lodged In Tihar
In the meantime, the Court instructed Tihar Jail authorities to permit Kejriwal to bring his prescribed medication and books. CM Kejriwal has been kept in Jail number 2. The court has mandated authorities to furnish one table and chair, a religious pendant, and a special dietary regimen as outlined by medical professionals, following the jail’s guidelines. Kejriwal, through his legal representatives, submitted a request seeking permission to bring along several books, including the Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, and a book titled “How Prime Minister Decided” by Neerja Chaudhary.
Bureau Report
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