PM targeting opponents with probes: Kejriwal
NEW DELHI: In a defiant press conference the day after his release, Arvind Kejriwal, chief minister of Delhi, said on Saturday that the outcome of the election would determine whether India remained a democracy.
A key leader in an opposition alliance Kejriwal accused the Prime Minister Narendra Modi of targeting his opponents with criminal probes.
“Modi has started a very dangerous mission,” he said.
“Modi will send all opposition leaders to jail.” “I have come to beg 1.4 billion people to save my country,” said Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) chief.
Kejriwalh as consistently denied any wrong doing since allegations of corruption were first levelled against him, including again on Saturday.
“They sent me to jail and the PM says he is fighting against corruption,” he said.
“If you want to fight corruption, learn from Arvind Kejriwal.”
Kejriwal visited the Hanuman temple in Connaught Place on Saturday, accompanied by his wife Sunita Kejriwal, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, and senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and MP Sanjay Singh.
However, as he stepped back into the political arena, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unveiled a new poster targeting the AAP chief.
Labelling Arvind Kejriwal as “Bhrastachar ka betaaj badshah” (The uncrowned king of corruption), the official X handle of Delhi BJP shared the poster with the caption: “Bhrastachari jail ke andar ho ya bahar, Bhrastachari Bhrastachari hota hai! (Whether a corrupt person is in jail or out, a corrupt person remains corrupt!)”
The BJP believes that, while out on bail, Kejriwal will attempt to influence the election campaign according to his style. Therefore, the party aims to confront AAP and Kejriwal on the issue of corruption.
The country’s top court on Friday provisionally released Kejriwal from jail to campaign in national elections.
He was granted bail on Friday after weeks in custody.
Kejriwal’ s government was accused of corruption when it liberalised the sale of liquor in 2021 and gave up a lucrative government stake in the sector.
The policy was withdrawn the following year, but the resulting probe into the alleged corrupt allocation of licences has since led to the jailing of two top Kejriwal allies. Rallies in support of Kejriwal, who refused to relinquish his post after his arrest, were held in numerous other big cities around India after he was taken into custody.