New Delhi:

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has filed a regular bail plea before a court in New Delhi, which is slated to hear it at 2 pm today, in connection with a money laundering case related to the alleged excise policy scam.

Mr Kejriwal was ordered to be released on interim bail till June 1 by the Supreme Court in view of the ongoing general elections.

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court registry had refused to accept the application moved by him seeking a seven-day extension of interim bail to undergo medical examinations, including a PET-CT scan.

The Supreme Court registry said that the top court had already reserved its verdict in the matter and the application seeking a 7-day extension has no relation to the main petition.

As Supreme Court had allowed him to move the trial court for obtaining regular bail, the application is not maintainable, it added.

As per the Aam Aadmi Party, Chief Minister Kejriwal’s health has deteriorated since he was arrested in the alleged Delhi excise scam.

The party has said that he has lost 7 kg in weight after his arrest and his Ketone levels are also very high indicating a serious medical disorder.

The party has further said that the Chief Minister was required to do medical tests and seven days were needed for this.

Earlier, the top court had directed him to surrender back to Tihar Jail on June 2.

The top court on May 17 had reserved its verdict on Chief Minister Kejriwal’s petition challenging his arrest and subsequent remand by the federal anti-money laundering agency in the excise policy case.

It said he could approach the trial court for a grant of regular bail notwithstanding the fact that the top court reserved judgment in the matter.

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

New Delhi:

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday addressed his first press conference and held roadshows for the Lok Sabha election campaign, a day after the Supreme Court granted him interim bail for 21 days.

Mr Kejriwal, the national convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money-laundering case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi liquor policy case.

Addressing a press conference at the AAP’s office in the national capital, he revealed why he didn’t resign, a Bharatiya Janata Party’s continuous demand since he was arrested on March 21.

“The chief minister’s post is not important for me. I did not step down as the chief minister because a conspiracy was hatched to force me to resign on a fake case,” Mr Kejriwal said.

आप सब लोगों के बीच वापस लौट कर मुझे बेहद ख़ुशी हो रही है। हमें मिलकर अपने देश को तानाशाही से बचाना है, मैं अपनी पूरी ताक़त से लड़ूँगा, मुझे देश के 140 करोड़ लोगों का समर्थन चाहिए। https://t.co/QbUWA5dBHF

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 11, 2024

The BJP had been attacking the Delhi Chief Minister for not stepping down from the chief minister’s post despite being in custody for 50 days.

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“If the prime minister wants to learn about fighting corruption, he should learn from Arvind Kejriwal. We sent the corrupt to jail and even our own ministers,” the AAP chief said.

“AAP Not Just A Party, It Is A Thought”

Arvind Kejriwal alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has “left no stone unturned to crush the AAP by sending its four top leaders to prison”.

He was the fourth senior AAP leader to spend time behind bars after Satyendar Jain, Manish Sisodia, and Sanjay Singh.

“They thought that the party would be finished. But AAP is not just a party, it is a thought, the more they destroy, the more our party will progress,” Mr Kejriwal asserted.

ALSO READ | BJP May Get 220 Seats, Won’t Form Government: Arvind Kejriwal’s Prediction

He told the AAP supporters that no one had expected that he would be able to come out in the middle of the Lok Sabha elections. “But because of your prayers and blessings of Lord Hanuman I am among you all,” he added.

“Kejriwal has fought against corruption. We have not spared even our ministers in corruption cases. They were sent to jail without the opposition and the media knowing about it,” he said.

“Missed People Of Delhi A Lot”

Arvind Kejriwal held his first roadshow for the Lok Sabha election campaign in the South Delhi constituency and said that he “missed the people of Delhi a lot”.

“I have come straight to you after being released from jail. I missed people of Delhi a lot. I want to thank crores of people who prayed and sent blessings to me,” he said.

pic.twitter.com/pLocAzgBFd

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 11, 2024

Mr Kejriwal recalled his 50 days in Tihar jail and said that his wife, Sunita Kejriwal, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, and his ministers used to come to meet him.

“I used to ask my ministers about the welfare of people while in jail. During my stay in jail, I used to think what was my fault that I was arrested. My fault was that I provided good schools and hospitals for people. I provided health facilities to people. They (BJP) stopped my insulin for 15 days in jail,” he said.

“They want to shut everything to paralyse the Delhi government,” he charged.  

तानाशाही के ख़िलाफ़ पूरा देश एकजुट होकर लड़ने को तैयार है। लोकसभा चुनाव प्रचार के दौरान दक्षिण दिल्ली के महरौली में विशाल रोड-शो।
https://t.co/1uOBAc65Af

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 11, 2024

The Supreme Court has granted Arvind Kejriwal interim bail to enable him to campaign in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. He, however, has to surrender on June 2, a day after the last phase of the seven-phase poll will get over.

New Delhi:

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was on Monday night administered insulin at Tihar jail after his blood sugar level soared, reaching 320. The AAP chief yesterday accused the Tihar jail administration of not providing him with insulin despite repeated requests. 

Mr Kejriwal’s accusations were met with a rebuttal from the Tihar jail administration, which claimed that during a video consultation with specialists from AIIMS, neither the issue of insulin nor its necessity was raised. 

“Today it is clear that the Chief Minister was right, he needed insulin. But the officials under the BJP’s central government were deliberately not treating him. Tell me BJP people! If insulin is not needed then why are you giving it now? Because the whole world is cursing them,” Delhi Minister and AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj said in a statement. 

A city court had directed AIIMS to form a medical board to assess Mr Kejriwal’s medical needs, particularly regarding insulin. The court highlighted discrepancies between the Delhi Chief Minister’s dietary regimen which consisted of home-cooked food and doctor-prescribed diet.

In a letter to the Tihar jail superintendent on Monday, Mr Kejriwal rejected the jail administration’s claim that the issue of insulin was never raised by him in his consultations with the doctors. Mr Kejriwal insists that he had raised the issue of insulin demand persistently over the course of 10 days.

The AAP has alleged that the Tihar administration withheld insulin from Mr Kejriwal, alleging a conspiracy to harm him.

Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva has claimed that AAP leaders aimed to generate public sympathy for Mr Kejriwal’s health during the Lok Sabha elections.

“No doubt Arvind Kejriwal is a diabetic but his sugar is under control in jail as he didn’t raise demand for insulin in the video consultation with the doctors of AIIMS,” Mr Sachdeva said. 

The Enforcement Directorate accused Mr Kejriwal of consuming sugary foods regularly, insinuating an attempt to exploit his health for legal advantage. Mr Kejriwal swiftly dismissed these accusations as petty and accused the agency of politicising the issue.

“I showed my high sugar levels to every doctor who came to see me. I showed them that there were three peaks in the sugar level every day — between 250-320,” Mr Kejriwal said in his letter.

“I also showed them that my fasting sugar level was in the range of 160-200 every day. Almost every day, I demanded insulin. Then how could you make such a statement that I never raised the issue of insulin?”

The Delhi Chief Minister was arrested on March 21 by the ED in connection with a money-laundering case linked to the Delhi government’s now-scrapped excise policy and has been lodged in Tihar jail since April 1. The Delhi High Court will hear Mr Kejriwal’s petition challenging the summonses issued to him by the probe agency on May 15. 
 

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.

 

New Delhi:

Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in the Delhi liquor policy case raised the question – who will be the next Delhi Chief Minister? The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) says he continues to govern from jail. Arvind Kejriwal’s chosen messenger, however, is wife Sunita Kejriwal.

Sunita Kejriwal today made her third video announcement on behalf of the AAP chief, announcing a “Kejriwal ko aashirwad” campaign and urging people to share messages on a WhatsApp number shared by her. The latest video provoked a sharp attack from the ruling BJP, with Union Minister Hardeep Puri today saying Sunita Kejriwal “is preparing for the role of Chief Minister”.

केजरीवाल जी को आशीर्वाद देने के लिए आप इस नम्बर पर WhatsApp करें – 8297324624 l Smt. @KejriwalSunita Addressing an Important Press Conference | LIVE https://t.co/eAbIiUgJO3

— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) March 29, 2024

Here are 5 facts on Sunita Kejriwal:

• Sunita Kejriwal is a former Indian Revenue Services (IRS) officer, who served in the Income Tax (I-T) department for 22 years.
• She met Arvind Kejriwal during a training programme in Bhopal. Sunita is from a 1994 batch IRS officer, while Mr Kejriwal is a 1995-batch officer.
• The 58-year-old opted for voluntary retirement from the I-T department in 2016. Her last posting was at the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) in Delhi where she served as the Income Tax Commissioner.
• She was often seen with Arvind Kejriwal during the Indian Against Corruption movement, and during the early days of the Aam Aadmi Party. She even took a leave from office to help Mr Kejriwal contest against Narendra Modi from Varanasi in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
• After a thumping win in the 2015 Delhi assembly polls, where AAP secured 67 of the 70 seats, Arvind Kejriwal’s first tweet was dedicated to Sunita. “Thank u Sunita for always being there,” he had posted.

New Delhi:

The Aam Aadmi Party has made it clear that Arvind Kejriwal will remain the Delhi Chief Minister despite his arrest in the liquor policy case. While no law would stop the AAP leader from running the state from prison, the jail guidelines would make it extremely difficult.

A former law officer of Delhi’s Tihar Jail says that an inmate can only hold two meetings in a week, which would make it difficult for Mr Kejriwal to carry out his responsibilities as Chief Minister.

“Running a government from jail is not straightforward. The jail manual states that you can meet your family, friends, or associates only twice a week. So it will not be easy for him to govern with these restrictions,” Sunil Gupta tells NDTV.

But the official says there is one way that Mr Kejriwal could carry on as Chief Minister. The Lieutenant Governor has the power to convert any building into a prison, and if Mr Kejriwal can convince him to put him under house arrest – it would help him be a part of the Delhi government’s day-to-day functioning.

“The Administrator has the authority to declare any building as a jail,” Mr Gupta elucidated, drawing parallels with past instances where court complexes were designated as temporary jails. Such measures, he suggested, could potentially facilitate Arvind Kejriwal’s governance from within confinement.

Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren — who was arrested in January in connection with an alleged land scam — was taken into custody by the Enforcement Directorate after he met the Governor and stepped down from the post. The Chief Minister’s post was handed over to party leader Champai Soren.

In 1998, when Lalu Prasad Yadav, then Chief Minister of Bihar, got arrested in the fodder scam case, he handed over his charges to his wife Rabri Devi.

Mr Kejriwal was arrested after he skipped summons for questioning for a ninth time in the liquor policy case and the Delhi High Court refused to grant him protection from arrest.

After Mr Kejriwal’s arrest on Thursday, AAP’s Atishi, who is currently number 2 in the Delhi government, said that there will be no change in the party’s leadership.

“Arvind Kejriwal is and will remain the Chief Minister of Delhi… there are no two ways about it,” said Atishi.

But sources say the Union Home Ministry is examining the ramifications of Mr Kejriwal not resigning. Legal experts said the Centre may have to suspend or remove him from the post since he is a public servant. This is also the procedure that is followed for government officials who are arrested. They are immediately suspended from service, sources said.

The scrapped excise policy, introduced to bring an overhaul to the national capital’s liquor business, promised a more modern shopping experience with discounts and offers. However, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena’s order to investigate alleged irregularities prompted the policy’s cancellation.

The ED’s case is that the Delhi liquor policy 2021-22 provided an exceptionally high-profit margin of 12 per cent for wholesalers and nearly 185 per cent for retailers. Of the 12 per cent, 6 per cent was to be recovered from wholesalers as kickbacks for AAP leaders, and the “South Group” allegedly gave Rs 100 crore in advance to another accused, Vijay Nair, who was linked to the AAP.

A key focus of the investigation into the Delhi liquor policy case was on an alleged network of middlemen, businessmen and politicians which the central agencies have called the “South Group”.

Two prominent AAP leaders, Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, are already under judicial custody in connection with the case. Mr Sisodia, the former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister, was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on February 26 last year, while Mr Singh, a Rajya Sabha member, was arrested by the ED on October 5.