The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
‘No leader would arrest CMS ahead of elections... it betrays BJP’S frustration’
AAP’S RAJYA Sabha MP Sanjay Singh walked out of jail Wednesday,a day after he was granted bail by the Supreme Court in the excise policy case. Reeling from the arrest of its senior leaders, including its supremo and chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, in the same case, the AAP has got a shot in the arm ahead of the Lok Sabha polls by Singh’s release. In an interview with The Indian Express, Singh spoke on a range of issues, including his party’s poll campaign, the INDIA bloc, and the elevation of Kejriwal’s wife Sunita. Excerpts:
What is the AAP’S roadmap for the Lok Sabha polls?
AAP is contesting on 23 seats as part of the INDIA bloc. Our focus will be to ensure our workers make efforts with full dedication in areas where we are contesting. Where we are not contesting, our workers will help in the campaign of the INDIA bloc candidates.
There are 3-4 big issues right now. The first is the looming danger to democracy. Elected governments are being brought down and MLAS and ministers are being bought. Chief Ministers (of Opposition parties) are being jailed. This has to be explained to the people, and how there is an attempt to finish any Opposition.
Other big issues include inflation,farmers’ distress, unemployment ... We will bring these to the people. I believe Modi ji will lose the 2024 polls. So far, whenever they have spoken about winning, they have fallen. In West Bengal, they said they’ ll get over 200 seats. What happened? In Mizoram, they said they will get 21 seats, they got 1. In Haryana, they said they will go past the 75 mark, they got 40... BJP’S slogan of crossing the 400 mark will fall flat. there is another indication( that BJP will lose); their support reached a saturation point in 2019, it will only decrease now. There was no alliance at that time, today there is. No leader would arrest CMS ahead of elections. This is also an indication of frustration (in BJP)... Their campaign will not translate into reality and their slogan of crossing the 400 mark will prove to be a lie, just like their other slogans.
What is your strategy, along with other INDIA parties, for taking these points to the people?
I think there is a need for a common minimum programme, wherein it is made clear these are 5 or 10or20thingsthat will be done if we arevotedtopower. In the campaign strategy, there is a need to fully support other allies. It should not happen that where AAP is not contesting, its workers do not help the other party and if Congress is not contesting, their workers won’t campaign.
Do you see it happening now?
I am not commenting on that right now. I am saying all INDIA parties should help each in the campaign.
Also, the speed at which a lie is being spread, the answer should be as quick. Somewhere, BJP is a master at this. they prepare a false narrative and, like hitler’ s chief propagandist Joseph Goebbels who said that a lie, if repeated a hundred times, becomes the truth, repeat it a hundred times. We need to have a strategy to counter lies quicker.
What, in your view, was the biggest setback faced by the INDIA bloc?
Nitish Kumar ji’s departure was completely unexpected... Switching sides in this manner impacts your image. You may be able to get power and some benefits in the short term. But if you switch sides over and over again, history will not judge you kindly. You can be remembered either as a coward or as courageous... I don’t think those who once spoke out against the BJP and have now bowed down before it will be remembered well.
To this day, one of the lasting images from Hitler’s Germany is of the man who did not raise his hand in a show of allegiance. Why? Because people like it... you have to show courage sometimes.
For how long will you be scared?
What about Mamata Banerjee?
She is doing everything possible to stand against BJP... There is a world of difference between her and Nitish Kumar. Nitish ji bowed down in front of BJP, and Mamata ji is fighting against it. The result in ben gal will be good ... the india bloc will surely benefit from it.
What is the AAP’S key focus area now?
The first thing for us is to tell the people about the deep-rooted conspiracy which has resulted in Kejriwal’s arrest. There are 162 ED witnesses and 294 CBI witnesses in the excise policy cases. There are a total of 456 witness statements. Out of these, only four people named Kejriwal. Their names are Magunta Reddy, Raghava Reddy, Sharath Reddy and C Aravind. How were these statements recorded?
A raid was conducted at Magunta Reddy’s house on September 16, 2022. On February 10, (2023), his son Raghava is arrested... Raghava gives 7 statements till July 16, 2023. And his father gives three statements. Of these 10 statements, Kejriwal is not mentioned in 8. He is named in the last two. On July 16, as soon as Kejriwal is named, he gets bail on July 18. It is clear how agencies are being misused and conspiring against the CM... You are an investigating agency. If you are gathering evidence or taking statements, you are doing it to prove us guilty .... You hid the statements in our favour and shared the ones against us.
... Now, Sharath Reddy’s house was raided in November 2022 and he is arrested. He gives 12 statements till April 25, 2023. He doesn’t name Kejriwal in 10, only in the last two. As soon as he names Kejriwal, he gets bail... The man who was called the kingpin of the scam, gives Rs 55 crore to BJP (in electoral bonds), for which a money trail is available. The BJP takes Rs 55 crore from a kingpin; will the top BJP leadership not know about it? How many BJP leaders have been questioned?
As for C Aravind, he says he gave a paper to the Deputy CM (Manish Sisodia) at the CM’S house. What does this prove? They talk about ethics. After having done all these unethical acts, they are asking us to follow ethics. This action is not against corruption but to break governments...
Is the AAP'S poll campaign in a limbo? The Congress is also yet to declare its list in Delhi...
Congress should declare names of its candidates soon so the campaign can progress quicker... Our candidates are working, meetings, rallies are being held.
The discussion about Sunita Kejriwal’s role has intensified after the CM’S arrest. Some have speculated she may become the next CM while others said she will not have any role. But her presence in the party is growing...
Her role is very prominent, and has grown, in terms of passing on the CM’S message to the people. The party said officially that Kejriwal was, is and will remain the CM of Delhi. This was decided after speaking to the 2 crore people of Delhi... We will do whatever is needed to defeat the BJP, including her (Sunita) campaigning for candidates, even outside Delhi.