New Delhi:

The Supreme Court on Monday refused Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal immediate relief in his battle to overturn the High Court’s interim stay on a bail order issued last week by a lower court.

The court responded to Mr Kejriwal’s arguments – that the High Court erred in staying bail without fully reading the order, and rationale, of the lower court – by saying it would wait till the said order came on record, and the High Court had a chance to re-examine the stay – before ruling on his plea.

The court fixed Wednesday as the next hearing date; the High Court is expected to deliver its full verdict on Tuesday. “It is not proper to interfere when the High Court has reserved its judgement,” the Supreme Court said, “We will keep this petition for hearing for day after tomorrow.”

This was after Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Enforcement Directorate – which arrested Mr Kejriwal in the liquor policy case March and has opposed bail and medical relief claimed by the Chief Minister – said the High Court is likely to render its verdict within 24 hours.

Earlier the High Court paused Mr Kejriwal’s bail after a last-gasp challenge from the Enforcement Directorate – filed hours before he was to leave jail – that said the release order was “perverse”.

The High Court immediately put Mr Kejriwal’s release on hold pending further arguments.

On Sunday Mr Kejriwal challenged the stay in the Supreme Court.

“Not Flight Risk”: Kejriwal Asks For Bail

This morning, as the day’s (brief) hearing began, Mr Kejriwal’s lawyers argued that the “balance of convenience” is in the Chief Minister’s favour, reasoning there is no substantial reason for the AAP leader to stay in jail. “If bail is reversed, he will certainly go back to jail… as he did after the Supreme Court’s interim release (to campaign for the election),” senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi said.

He was referring to Mr Kejriwal’s release last month – allowed by the top court – to campaign for his party and the Congress-led INDIA bloc in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP was pegged back and forced to rely on its allies to form the government.

Mr Singhvi also referred to the top court’s order granting Mr Kejriwal that interim bail, in which it acknowledged the AAP leader is not a “habitual offender” and has no criminal antecedents.

“Why can’t I be free in the interim? I have a judgment in my favour…” he continued, responding to the court suggesting the Chief Minister be patient for 24-48 hours till the High Court reads its order.

“If we pass order now, we will prejudge the issue. This is not a subordinate court…” he was told.

Mr Kejriwal’s side argued strenuously the stay order should not be allowed to stand because the lower court’s order had not been released when the High Court listed the ED’s challenge.

“There was only an oral direction to not give effect to the bail order…” his camp pointed out.

“This (Mr Kejriwal’s regular bail order) is a discretionary order passed by a trial court for a person who was (already) released by this honourable court,” senior advocate Vikram Chaudhary said.

“Perverse Order Can Be Stayed”

The ED, however, stressed that a “perverse”, or incorrect, order can and should be stayed.

It also told the court that, in its opinion, the twin conditions for grant of bail under Section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, under which Mr Kejriwal has been charged, had not been met.

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New Delhi:

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal – on interim bail following his arrest in the alleged liquor policy scam – began his battle for regular bail Thursday afternoon in the city’s Rouse Avenue Court.

He has filed two pleas – for normal bail, and to extend the Supreme Court-ordered interim bail by a week, citing a battery of pending medical tests over potential “health complications” from his diabetes.

In the brief hearing that followed the Enforcement Directorate opposed both pleas. The federal agency sought at least two days to respond and took a swipe at the bail plea on health grounds.

The ED pointed out Mr Kejriwal – whom party sources told NDTV has led 67 rallies or roadshows and given 30 interviews since his release on interim bail – seemed to be in fine condition. The agency also seemed irked by the AAP leader filing his pleas a little over 48 hours before the bail period expires.

“He is not in custody… he is, today, in Punjab campaigning. His health does not hinder him from campaigning… and he moves bail on the last date so we get very little time (to argue),” the ED said.

“His conduct doesn’t entitle him for any orders today,” Additional Solicitor-General SV Raju, appearing for the central agency, told the court, which gave the ED time till 2 pm Saturday to respond.

The Rouse Avenue Court is also due to rule (on June 4, on counting day) on a point of cognisance on the ED’s supplementary chargesheet, which is linked to an associated money laundering case.

READ | Ready To Go To Jail 100 Times To Save Country: Arvind Kejriwal

Mr Kejriwal has been singularly active since his release from jail, leading his party’s charge (and contributing to that of the Congress-led INDIA bloc) ahead of polling in Delhi and Punjab. 

READ | “Give All 13 Seats To AAP”: Kejriwal’s Appeal To Punjab Voters

These are the states where the AAP is in power and send a combined 20 MPs to the Lok Sabha, but the curious case of the alliance with the Congress remains a point of interest. The parties are contesting together in Delhi but as rivals in Punjab, where state leaders have taken regular potshots at each other.

Meanwhile, Mr Kejriwal’s regular release plea today is key since it is the first time he has actively applied for bail. His interim release this month was ordered by the Supreme Court as it was hearing his challenge to the ED’s arrest. The court recognised him as an elected leader and not a habitual offender.

READ | Kejriwal Gets Big Supreme Court Relief. Interim Bail Till June 1

Mr Kejriwal’s interim bail expires June 1, or on completion of polling for the final phase of the Lok Sabha election. He is to report to Delhi’s Tihar Jail authorities 24 hours after that, i.e., June 2. On Tuesday he asked the top court to extend his freedom by seven days so he could finish the tests.

However, the court refused an urgent hearing and also seemed put out by the timing.

It was pointed out the plea could have been filed last week, when Justice Datta – part of the bench that granted interim bail – was hearing cases. “Why did you not mention this (then)…?” the court asked.

Mr Kejriwal was, though, given leave to move the lower court at this time, which he did this afternoon.

In earlier arguments Mr Kejriwal had underlined the row between himself and jail authorities over the supply of insulin. His AAP had claimed he was deliberately deprived of the “life-saving” drug.

READ | “Asking For Insulin Daily”: Kejriwal’s Letter To Jail Officials

That row also reached the courts after Arvind Kejriwal criticised Tihar jail and ED officials for being “petty” and “politicising” his well-being. The probe agency responded by claiming the Chief Minister had deliberately consumed foods high in sugar – like mangoes and toffees, in alleged violation of a prescribed diet chart – to place his health at risk and establish grounds for medical bail.

READ | Kejriwal Claims Tihar Officials’ “Negligence” Took Toll On Health

“My health condition is due partly to the insensitive behaviour of the prison authorities. One more week of bail will allow me to take stock of (possible) health complications,” he had argued.

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New Delhi:

A fresh chapter was written Wednesday in the persistent and bitter row between Delhi Lt Governor VK Saxena and the ruling AAP, after the former suspended and urged disciplinary proceedings against a senior member of Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj’s office. Dr RN Das, an Officer on Special Duty, has been called out over alleged “misconduct with regard to (an) unauthorised and illegal” nursing home.

Mr Saxena has claimed Dr Das – when he was Medical Superintendent of the Delhi government’s Nursing Home Cell – kept the Jyoti Clinic and Nursing Home running by delaying renewal of its licence post-2014.

The LG – who has had multiple fiery run-ins with the ruling AAP and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal – cited a civil complaint against the nursing home – that it has been running despite a license called in 2018.

Mr Saxena has alleged the nursing home’s management had applied for a new licence – these are issued in three-year blocks only – but this had been kept pending by Dr Das. “Unauthorised running of the nursing home is attributed to the collusion of above official… with management of nursing home…”

“In this matter an inquiry was conducted… which concluded Dr RN Das, then Medical Superintendent (of the Nursing Home Cell)… was solely responsible for renewal of registration. It has been alleged Dr Das… provided unlawful shelter by keeping the license pending unnecessarily,” he said.

An earlier initial anti-corruption inquiry had said there is enough evidence to warrant a full inquiry.

Dr Das was posted to the Nursing Home Cell from  2011 to  2015, and from 2018 to 2022. “Given the long tenure of Dr RN Das… the officer is clearly responsible for the alleged misconduct,” Dr Saxena claimed.

Action against Dr Das (and, by implication, the Delhi Health Ministry) comes as the LG and the AAP trade blows over a horrific fire Saturday at a private children’s hospital.

READ | Delhi LG Takes Swipe At Kejriwal, Orders Corruption Probe Into Hospital Fire

Seven infants were killed in that fire, triggering a massive row as rivals BJP try to score political brownie points with voters ahead of the final phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha election.

READ | Oxygen Cylinders Began To Explode: When Fire At Delhi Hospital Killed 7

The Delhi LG seemed to link the hospital fire and the alleged licensing failure, declaring “here also Dr Das had allowed registration of the children’s hospital without bothering to ascertain pending litigation and statutory compliance status, including fire safety”.

“… incidents point to the fact Dr RN Das has clearly abused his powers,” Dr Saxena declared.

On Tuesday the LG launched a front attack and declared himself “disappointed” Mr Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Mr Bhardwaj had “paid only lip service and given sound bites (to the press)… and shirked responsibility” since the gut-wrenching incident took place.

He said he had been compelled, “in public interest”, to order an anti-corruption probe into possible lapses in registration and regulatory management of Delhi’s private nursing homes.

The AAP has not yet responded, but Mr Bhardwaj has ordered a mandatory audit of safety equipment in city hospitals and the Delhi government has initiated a magistrate-level probe.

READ | After Delhi Hospital Tragedy, Minister’s Big Order On Fire Safety

In recent weeks Mr Saxena has also stepped into the Swati Maliwal row; he came out in support of Ms Maliwal, who has accused Mr Kejriwal’s aide of assault, and claimed himself “deeply distressed”.

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New Delhi:

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal – a diabetes patient who has gone to court claiming Tihar Jail officials have withheld his supply of insulin for 31 days – has hit out at prison authorities, accusing them of making “false statements” and “lying under political pressure (from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party)”.

Sources said the Aam Aadmi Party leader – in jail since the Enforcement Directorate arrested him on March 21 in the alleged Delhi liquor scam case – wrote a note to Tihar Jail’s Superintendent after the prison arranged a video conference with doctors from the central government-run All India Institute of Medical Sciences. After the meeting jail officials claimed the supply of insulin had not been raised.

Jail officials also claimed the doctors “assured (Mr Kejriwal) there is no serious concern” and advised him to “continue with the prescribed medicines, which will be evaluated regularly”.

Mr Kejriwal, though, has a different take on the matter.

“I read the statement of Tihar administration in the newspaper… I felt sad after reading the statements. Both statements of Tihar Jail are false. I am asking for insulin daily… I showed the glucometer readings (three times a day) and told them sugar levels are high…”

According to Mr Kejriwal the sugar level readings are between 250 and 320 mg/dl. “Almost every day, I demanded insulin. Then how could you make such a statement that I never raised the issue of insulin?”

According to the World Health Organization, “expected values for normal fasting blood glucose concentration are between 70 and 100 mg/dL (or milligrams per decilitre)”. 

READ | Arvind Kejriwal In 14×8 Feet Cell. See What All Court Has Allowed

“AIIMS doctors never said there is nothing to worry about… they said they will respond after looking at the (medical) data and (patient) history,” the Chief Minister reportedly said.

“The Tihar administration is lying under political pressure…” he is understood to have told the jail chief, ramping up tension between himself and the centre – which he has accused of “political vendetta” – ahead of the Lok Sabha election in the national capital on May 25. 

The Aam Aadmi Party leader – in jail since the Enforcement Directorate arrested him on March 21 in the alleged Delhi liquor scam case – moved a court last week seeking directions for supply of the life-saving drug. Mr Kejriwal criticised the jail and probe agency for being “petty” and “politicising” his well-being.

READ | “Had Mangoes Only Thrice, Sweets 6 Times In Jail”: Arvind Kejriwal

The court – to which the ED claimed the Chief Minister deliberately ate foods high in sugar – like mangoes and toffees – to place his health at risk and prove grounds for medical bail – quizzed Mr Kejriwal about variations in his prescribed diet and reserved its verdict for today.

Why Was Arvind Kejriwal Arrested?

The probe agency believes the Chief Minister played a key role in drafting the now-scrapped policy and seeking bribes, or kickbacks, in return for liquor licences.

These kickbacks, the ED has claimed, amounted to around Rs 600 crore and some of this, the ED has said, was used to fund the party’s Punjab and Goa election campaigns, which won the AAP its first state government outside Delhi and confirmed its status as a national political party.

The AAP and Mr Kejriwal have refused all charges and called the arrest. The Chief Minister’s colleague, Atishi, has accused the centre of a “conspiracy to kill” Mr Kejriwal since it seems unable to defeat him in an election; the reference was to the past two Assembly polls.

READ | Kejriwal To Stay In Jail For Now, Supreme Court Refuses Early Hearing

Mr Kejriwal has challenged his arrest in the Supreme Court. However, the top court has refused an early hearing. He must now wait till April 29, when the court reconvenes to hear the ED’s reply.

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New Delhi:

Has Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal – a Type 2 diabetes patient – been denied insulin while behind bars in Tihar Jail? Did Mr Kejriwal eat mangoes and sweets, and did he drink tea with sugar instead of a non-calorific sweetener meant for diabetics? And how many times did he eat aloo-puri?

These are the questions at the heart of the latest row between the Aam Aadmi Party leader and the Enforcement Directorate, which had opposed his request for daily 15-minute video consults with his doctor; the ED claimed Mr Kejriwal had deliberately eaten foods high in sugar to create grounds for medical bail. The court resumed its hearing today and then reserved its verdict for Monday.

Arvind Kejriwal’s Insulin Request

In today’s hearing Mr Kejriwal – who sought directions to jail officials to ensure supply of insulin – hit out at the ED for being “petty” and “politicising” his diet in jail instead of ensuring his health.

“Just because I am a prisoner… do I have no right to a dignified life and good health? Am I a gangster that I cannot even be allowed 15 minutes of video conference with my doctor?” he asked in court.

“ED claimed I want to increase my blood sugar levels to get bail. Am I going to risk paralysis to get bail? Whatever food I have is as per the diet chart prepared by my doctor prior to arrest,” senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Mr Kejriwal, told the court at the hearing start.

In his submission Mr Kejriwal said he had been prescribed 50 units of insulin – 28 in the morning and 22 at night – since 2012, and that he had been “deprived of the life-saving drug for the last 29 days”.

“It is shocking that ED (believes) a person would deliberately cause such alarming hikes in sugar level and risk his life – for getting medical bail,” Mr Kejriwal argued in his submission, countering the ED’s rationale for the spike in his blood sugar level – that he has deliberately been eating sugary foods.

To this the ED replied: “Legal mulakaats (meetings) were abused earlier… there is a court order.”

“The real reason for the continuous spike is the refusal of jail authorities to give insulin to the applicant, which is a life-saving drug…” the Chief Minister’s submission argued.

Mr Kejriwal’s submission offered a detailed rebuttal to the ED’s claims, including providing the names of the insulin injections and underlining his doctor’s recommendations, as well as listing when he had been supplied with mangoes (as part of the home-cooked meals allowed by the court).

“The allegation is I have been consuming mangoes (but) out of 48 meals from home, only three had mangoes. No mangoes were sent after April 8,” Mr Kejriwal’s lawyer said, arguing the ED had made mangoes “look like sugar bullets”. “(In reality) their sugar level is less than brown or white rice.”

READ | After AAP’s “Plan To Kill” Claim, Kejriwal’s Court Plea For Insulin

On the ED’s claim that Mr Kejriwal regularly had white sugar in his tea, Mr Singhvi clarified the Chief Minister only used Sugar Free, a popular artificial sugar food item. Slamming the probe agency for being “ridiculous”, Mr Singhvi also accused it of misusing its “influence in the media”.

“Just because you have a lot of influence in the media you are able to publish – that I am having aloo-puri – even though this meal was sent only once – during Navratri,” he told the court.

READ | AAP Claims “Plan To Kill Kejriwal In Jail” In “Eating Mangoes” Row

The ED opposed these submissions, claiming the food Mr Kejriwal was eating did not match the prescribed diet chart. It also argued the jail had sufficient medical facilities to care for Mr Kejriwal.

“Please see the diet prescribed to him. It has no reference to any sweet or fruits or sweet items. It appears to be a very regulated and restricted diet… Therefore it has direct relation to his submission – that he has an alarming rise in sugar level,” the ED’s lawyer, Zuhaib Hossain, told the court.

The ED’s legal team also argued that the presence of mangoes in Mr Kejriwal’s diet were contrary to what was allowed by the Chief Minister’s doctor. They also referred a report by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, which said “food to be avoided are mangoes, bananas, chikoo, etc…”

READ | Arvind Kejriwal In 14×8 Feet Cell. See What All Court Has Allowed

Mr Singhvi, however, emphasised that the fruit had been sent only thrice. The last time was April 8 and the first blood sugar reading after that was three days later. “What is the relation…” he asked.

“He was given mangoes three times and aloo-puri once…” he said, answering “No” in response to a question by the bench about variations in Mr Kejriwal’s diet from what was allowed by the court.

As the hearing wound down, Mr Kejriwal pointed out that his medical condition is “bad and Monday will be late”, to which the court said, “File your replies by tomorrow. I’ll reserve orders on Monday.”

Why Was Arvind Kejriwal Arrested?

Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21 in connection with the alleged liquor policy scam in the national capital. The probe agency believes the Chief Minister played a key role in drafting the now-scrapped policy and seeking bribes, or kickbacks, in return for liquor licences.

The AAP and Mr Kejriwal have refused all charges and called the arrest and case “political vendetta”, coming as it did, weeks before the Lok Sabha election.

READ | Kejriwal To Stay In Jail For Now, Top Court Refuses Early Hearing

Mr Kejriwal has challenged his arrest in the Supreme Court. However, the top court has refused an early hearing. He must now wait till April 29, when the court reconvenes to hear the ED’s reply.

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New Delhi:

The Enforcement Directorate has opposed a request by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal – in Tihar Jail following his arrest last month on corruption charges – to consult his regular doctor via a videoconference. Mr Kejriwal is a Type 2 diabetic and has received medication while in jail, but his Aam Aadmi Party has expressed concern over fluctuating blood sugar levels and weight loss.

Heard by Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court, the plea was rubbished by the federal agency, which alleged the AAP leader – despite claims about ill health – partakes freely of sweets and mangoes; neither is advised for diabetes patients. The ED claimed Mr Kejriwal was laying the ground for a bail appeal.

“Diet chart has mangoes and sweets on it… it has been placed before the court. (Mr Kejriwal) is regularly consuming foods not permitted for any diabetic patient,” Zuhaib Hussain, the ED’s legal counsel, said after the hearing. “The person is in court’s custody… and court has to ensure their safety.”

Mr Kejriwal’s legal team has, however, insisted that all food items on the Chief Minister’s diet chart had been prescribed by his doctor. His lawyer accused the ED of cooking up excuses to stop the supply of home-cooked food, which was permitted by the court in view of the AAP leader’s diabetes.

READ | AAP Says Kejriwal’s Health Deteriorated In Probe Agency Custody

“He is only eating what is prescribed by doctors. ED is trying to stop supply of home-cooked food. This concerns the health of the Chief Minister…” Vivek Jain, the AAP leader’s lawyer, told reporters.

The court has sought a report from the jail authorities and adjourned the matter for Friday.

Apart from fierce legal battles over the corruption charges, Mr Kejriwal and jail authorities are also fighting over his health. The AAP – after he was sent to Tihar Jail – claimed he had lost 4.5 kg.

READ | AAP Says Kejriwal Unwell, Lost 4.5 Kg In Jail, Officials Disagree

This was after Delhi Minister Atishi said Mr Kejriwal’s blood sugar level had dropped precipitously – to 46 Mg – at one time. Atishi said doctors had advised her such a drop is “very dangerous”.

When Mr Kejriwal was sent to jail under judicial custody, the court recognised his illness and allowed home-cooked food and bottled water, and a supply of toffees in case of a sudden blood sugar fall.

READ | Arvind Kejriwal In 14×8 Feet Cell. See What All Court Has Allowed

He was also given access to bed linen from home and medical equipment to monitor his health.

READ | Up At 6:30, Dal, Sabzi For Lunch, Dinner: Kejriwal’s Tihar Routine

Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21 in connection with the alleged liquor policy scam in the national capital. The probe agency believes the Chief Minister played a key role in drafting the now-scrapped policy and seeking bribes, or kickbacks, in return for liquor licences.

The ED has claimed the AAP received Rs 600 crore in this manner – a majority from a ‘south group’ led by BRS lawmaker K Kavitha (also in Tihar Jail) – and used some of this to fund its Goa and Punjab election campaigns. Apart from Mr Kejriwal (and Ms Kavitha), former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh were also arrested. Mr Singh has received bail.

READ | Kejriwal To Stay In Jail For Now, Top Court Refuses Early Hearing

Arvind Kejriwal has challenged his arrest in the Supreme Court. However, the top court has refused an early hearing. He must now wait till April 29, when the court reconvenes to hear the ED’s reply.

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New Delhi:

Key leaders of the INDIA bloc joined forces for a rally in the national capital today as a demonstration of their collective strength and solidarity following the recent arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal just ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. 

The event, dubbed “Loktantra Bachao” or ‘save democracy’, will witness the participation of prominent leaders such as Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Farooq Abdullah, among others. But for Mr Kejriwal, currently in the custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering case linked to the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam of 2022, it all goes back to where it began – Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan. 

Ramlila Maidan stands as more than just a venue for festivals and celebrations. This historic ground, nestled near Ajmeri Gate, has witnessed the ebb and flow of time, evolving from a site of Ramlila festivities dating back to the 19th century to serving as Ground Zero for political protests in the national capital. 

In 1955, during a momentous Soviet visit, Nikita Khrushchev graced its ground. In 1959, then-US President Dwight Eisenhower delivered a speech at the maidan.During the dark days of the Emergency, it was here that Jayaprakash Narayan rallied the masses, igniting the flames of dissent that eventually led to the restoration of democracy. 

As Mr Kejriwal faces legal trouble, it is here, at the Ramlila Maidan, where his political career began. 

From his days as an activist against corruption alongside Anna Hazare to his ascension as Delhi’s seventh Chief Minister, Mr Kejriwal’s career in public office was greatly influenced by his days protesting at Ramlila Maidan. 

In 2011, the Ramlila Maidan served as the base for Anna Hazare’s 12-day fasting protest in support of the Jan Lokpal bill. During this time, Mr Kejriwal stood by his side, gaining widespread recognition in Delhi. In 2013, Mr Kejriwal took oath at the Ramlila Maidan after becoming Delhi’s youngest Chief Minister. He would repeat that in 2015 and then again in 2020. 

Today as Opposition leaders gather at the historic ground, Sunita Kejriwal, the Delhi Chief Minister’s wife, will read out a message penned by her husband from ED custody. 

Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray, Akhilesh Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav are also expected to attend the rally.

The opposition is anticipated to voice vehement criticism against what it deems as the BJP’s exploitation of central agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate, CBI, and the Income Tax Department.

The BJP insists that Mr Kejriwal’s arrest by the ED and the issuance of tax notifications to the Congress were outcomes of the agencies operating autonomously and adhering to legal protocols. Additionally, it criticised the AAP for persisting in its demand for the Delhi chief minister to govern from jail.

 

Udhampur:

Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Wednesday launched scathing attacks on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and said that the latter is in jail because there is no one left who has not been cheated by Kejriwal.

Addressing a public gathering today, Anurag Thakur said there was corruption, nepotism during the Congress government.

“You have to go and tell people what the Narendra Modi government has done. There was corruption, and nepotism during the Congress government. 2G scam, CWG, Coal, National Herald and submarine scam. But PM Modi had said ‘Na khaunga, na khane dunga’. Today Congress-Aam Aadmi Party have come together,” he said.

“I want to ask you whether action should be taken against corrupt people or not,” he added.

Further, Anurag Thakur pointed out that today Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi are on bail. Fodder scamster Lalu Yadav is on bail. Corrupt Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh, and Satyendra Jain are in jail.

“Arvind Kejriwal is in jail today because “Aisa Koi saga nahi, jisko Kejriwal ne thaga nahi.” (There is no one left who has not been cheated by Kejriwal). More than Rs 100 crore bribe was there in the liquor scam. The kingpin of the scam is Kejriwal. Is he above the law? The people of Delhi are demanding an account today,” he said.

Meanwhile, the wife of jailed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Sunita on Wednesday said that her husband, who is in the custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the alleged excise scam, will reveal the truth regarding the case in court on March 28.

Arvind Kejriwal will be produced before the court on Thursday at the end of his ED custody in Delhi excise policy money laundering case.

In a video message, Sunita Kejriwal hit out at the Centre and central probe agency, saying that the ED could not find a single penny in its more than 250 raids conducted in the “so-called liquor scam”.

“In the so-called liquor scam, ED has conducted more than 250 raids. They are searching for the money of this so-called scam. They have found nothing yet. Arvind Kejriwal has said that he will reveal everything in court on March 28. He will reveal where the money of the liquor scam is. He will also provide proof…” she said.

The Aam Aadmi Party’s National Convenor was arrested on March 21 for alleged misdoings in the now-scrapped Delhi Excise policy case under an ongoing money laundering probe by the ED. He is in ED custody till March 28.

The case relates to alleged irregularities and money laundering in the formulation and execution of the Delhi excise policy in 2022.In its initial prosecution complaint filed in November 2021, the ED stated that the policy was intentionally designed with loopholes, facilitating the formation of cartels clandestinely to favor AAP leaders.

Additionally, the ED accused AAP leaders of receiving kickbacks from a group of individuals referred to as the “South Group.”

The case originated from a report presented by Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar to Lieutenant Governor (LG) Vinai Kumar Saxena in July 2022, highlighting purported procedural deficiencies in the development of the policy.

The report said “arbitrary and unilateral decisions” taken by Sisodia in his capacity as Excise Minister had resulted in “financial losses to the exchequer” estimated at more than Rs 580 crore.This report was referred to the CBI, and led to Sisodia’s arrest.

While Arvind Kejriwal was not named in the FIRs registered by the ED or the Central Bureau of Investigation in the Delhi excise policy case, his name first found a mention in the ED’s chargesheet, wherein the agency claimed that he allegedly spoke to one of the main accused, Sameer Mahendru, in a video call and asked him to continue working with co-accused and AAP communications-in-charge Vijay Nair.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

MLAs from both the ruling AAP and the opposition BJP held protests on the Delhi Assembly premises on Wednesday raising slogans against each other.

While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs held a demonstration demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who has been arrested by the ED in an excise policy-linked money laundering case, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislators and their supporters raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Both the parties staged protests simultaneously. As the BJP legislators took out a march carrying placards, the AAP leaders and workers, dressed in yellow T-shirts, started raising slogans against PM Modi while following the saffron party’s MLAs.

Leader of Opposition Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said Arvind Kejriwal should resign as the chief minister.

“The chief minister should resign from his post. There are almost a dozen allegations of corruption against him. If the excise policy was world class, why did he take it back? We are demanding Arvind Kejriwal’s resignation,” Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said.

The BJP MLAs congregated at the Mahatma Gandhi statue on the premises where they protested.

Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said while Arvind Kejriwal currently faces charges in one case, investigations are ongoing in numerous others, necessitating his accountability for multiple alleged scams. He asserted that resignation remains the only viable recourse in such circumstances.

He said Arvind Kejriwal continuing to occupy of the chief minister’s post undermines both moral and constitutional principles, advocating for his prompt resignation to prevent further detriment to Delhi.

Meanwhile, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva also held a demonstration outside the entrance of the assembly premises around noon with a group of about 100 party workers from Mayur Vihar, along with the party’s Mahila Morcha and Yuva Morcha office-bearers, demanding the resignation of Arvind Kejriwal.

Dressed in black, the BJP workers gathered at the Vidhan Sabha entrance gate and started raising slogans. Virendra Sachdeva himself scaled the gate shouting slogans.

Police did not allow them to enter the assembly premises. The security personnel locked the main gate and subsequently detained the protesters.

Virendra Sachdeva said the people of Delhi are frustrated watching the “illegal” political melodrama of the Arvind Kejriwal government and claimed that they will teach a lesson to the AAP-Congress alliance in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls by totally rejecting them.

He said two ministers of the Delhi government are already in jail and claimed that Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj might also land in prison soon for allegedly issuing fake letters.

Before the commencement of the assembly proceedings, the AAP MLAs staged a protest outside the House and raised slogans demanding Arvind Kejriwal’s immediate release from the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) custody.

The party leaders, including Atishi and Bharadwaj, were part of the protest. They were dressed in yellow T-shirts with slogans like “Main Bhi Kejriwal” and “Modi ka Sabse Bada Dar Kejriwal” written on them. They also burnt an effigy.

The AAP national convener was arrested by the ED on March 21 and subsequently remanded to the federal agency’s custody till March 28 by a court here.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Arvind Kejriwal will make a big revelation in the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam that has roiled the Aam Aadmi Party and led to the Chief Minister’s arrest just weeks before the 2024 Lok Sabha election, his wife Sunita Kejriwal said Wednesday morning.

Mrs Kejriwal said the Chief Minister – arrested by the Enforcement Directorate last week and remanded to judicial custody till April 9 – would reveal the location of “money from the so-called liquor scam”. She also hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party over attacks on Mr Kejriwal after he issued directions to Atishi and Saurabh Bhardwaj, the city’s Public Works and Health Ministers.

“Arvindji told me that in the past two years they (referring to probe agencies like the ED) conducted 250 raids in this so-called liquor policy case. He told me that they are searching for the money from this so-called scam… but so far they have not recovered a single paise of illegal money,” she said.

“They raided (ex-Deputy Chief Minister Manish) Sisodia… they raided (Rajya Sabha MP) Sanjay Singh… they raided (former Health Minister Satyendar) Jain. But they did not find even one paise.”

“They raided us (Mr Kejriwal’s home) also and found only Rs 73,000. So where is all this money from the so-called liquor scam? Arvindji has said he will reveal everything in court (tomorrow).”

“The whole country will bear witness. He said he has proof,” she said, hailing the Chief Minister as a “brave, truthful, and honest patriot”. Mrs Kejriwal also said her husband had given her a message to the people of Delhi. “He said, ‘My body is in jail… but my spirit is with all of you’.”