New Delhi:

Once the election season heats up enough, even a retweet can spark a political firestorm. 

This is exactly what happened on Wednesday when Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh tore into the District Election Officer of New Delhi for resharing a post by BJP Delhi’s official handle on X (formerly Twitter) about a meeting between some of the party’s leaders and Election Commission officials.

Sharing a screenshot of the retweet, Mr Singh, in a post dripping with sarcasm, accused the District Election Officer (DEO) of bias and said the officer would formally join the BJP and campaign for the party. The DEO clarified that the social media handle is managed by an officer from the social media cell, who had reposted the tweet “inadvertently” and has been replaced.

In his post on X, Mr Singh wrote in Hindi, “A first in the history of India – the Election Officer of New Delhi has started retweeting BJP’s tweets secretly. Now the District Election Officer of New Delhi Legislative Assembly is saying “When you love, what is there to fear?” (‘jab pyaar kiya to darna kya‘).” 

“The District Election Officer has now decided to join the BJP and campaign openly. Tomorrow at 11 am, the District Election Officer will formally join the BJP at the BJP office,” he sneered.

Leaders from the AAP and the BJP have been meeting officials from the Election Commission frequently – often to complain against the other party – ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections, which are scheduled to be held on February 5. The post by BJP Delhi retweeted by the DEO’s handle was about the party’s Delhi President Virendra Sachdeva, MP Bansuri Swaraj and others meeting Election Commission officials on Tuesday. 

‘Officer Replaced’

Replying to the AAP Rajya Sabha MP’s post, the DEO clarified that the repost was immediately undone as soon as it was brought to light and that the social media cell has been directed to exercise caution. 

“The DEO’s official social media handle is managed by the Nodal Officer, Social Media Cell, who is responsible for posting replies and addressing tweets, particularly to counter misinformation and ensure accurate communication with the public. It has come to light that this particular tweet was inadvertently reposted while replying to the said tweet as part of routine engagement with social media content. The repost was immediately undone as soon as it was brought to the notice of the DEO,” the DEO’s handle posted.

The poll officer said the nodal officer of the social media cell has been replaced to ensure accountability and ensure the incident is not repeated. 

“Additionally, the Social Media Cell has been directed to exercise greater caution in future engagements to maintain the integrity and impartiality of the DEO’s social media communications. This clarification is issued to reaffirm the DEO’s commitment to impartiality and adherence to the guidelines laid down by the Election Commission of India,” the post said. 

Earlier Row

Mr Singh’s dig at the District Election Officer came hours after the Aam Aadmi Party had accused the Election Commission of remaining mum while the BJP’s Parvesh Verma, who is contesting against AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal from the New Delhi Assembly constituency, distributed shoes to voters. 

The returning officer of the constituency had then filed a complaint with the police and a case was registered against Mr Verma for violating the Model Code of Conduct. 

New Delhi:

Sulakshana Pramod Sawant, wife of Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, has filed a Rs 100 crore defamation suit against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh, accusing the MP of making defamatory statements linking her to a “Cash-for-Jobs Scam” in Goa during a press conference on December 4.

Sulakshana Pramod Sawant filed the defamation suit in the Civil Judge Senior Division Court in Bicholim, Goa, against Sanjay Singh.

According to an official press note, the allegations claim that Sanjay Singh linked Sulakshana Sawant to a “Cash-for-Jobs Scam” in Goa, claiming she was involved in corrupt practices.

“These statements were broadcast live on multiple national and regional news channels and shared widely on social media platforms like YouTube, where they have garnered significant views,” said the allegations.

The defamation suit asserts that these false accusations were made without any credible evidence, causing harm to Sulakshana Sawant’s integrity and public image.

The statements made by Mr Singh, according to the lawsuit, were not only damaging but were also broadcasted and shared extensively, amplifying the false allegations.

“The defamation occurred during a press conference where Sanjay Singh made direct accusations against Sulakshana Sawant’s integrity and her involvement in the scam, thereby damaging her reputation,” said the press note.

As per an official press note, the legal action sought by Sulakshana Pramod Sawant includes seeking Rs 100 crores as damages for defamation, a permanent injunction against Sanjay Singh and his associates, restraining them from making or publishing defamatory statements, videos, or articles about Mrs Sawant on any platform, including social media.

Mrs Sawant has also demanded a public apology from Mr Singh, clarifying the falsehood of his statements and the defamatory video, article.

She has also sought an injunction to prevent further defamatory statements by Singh or his associates during the course of the suit.

Further, Mrs Sawant has requested the court to grant the costs of the suit and any other appropriate reliefs.

As per the press note, the baseless and defamatory statements made by Sanjay Singh are

– “….Over the past 10 years, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government has been involved in corruption and bribery under the guise of job creation. Even the wife of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has been named in the scandal, along with several of his ministers.”

– “This is not a small issue–it is a massive job scam involving corruption and bribery in Goa, with direct involvement from the Chief Minister and his ministers. The names of the Chief Minister’s wife and various brokers have been revealed.”

– “This job bribery scam became even more serious when the then-Governor, Satyapal Malik, publicly stated that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant’s wife was involved in the job scam, accepting bribes for jobs, committing corruption, and demanding money.”

– “This clearly indicates that the Chief Minister of Goa and his entire family are involved in accepting bribes under the pretence of offering jobs.”

– “The name of the Chief Minister’s wife surfaced, and the entire scam was revealed through an audio recording of an MLA discussing financial transactions. This shocking revelation implicated BJP office bearers, the Chief Minister’s wife, the woman the Chief Minister met, and the MLA. The scam has been ongoing since 2014, with jobs being sold for bribes.”

Reacting to the lawsuit, BJP leader Giriraj Pai Vernekar said, “Sanjay Singh made some derogatory remarks where he alleged that CM and his family are involved in this (Job scam) and he has not been able to substantiate his allegations or give any proof. Sulakshana Sawant, in-charge of BJP Goa Mahila Morcha and wife of CM, has filed a defamation suit of Rs 100 crores. As per my information, the court has issued a notice and the next hearing will be somewhere in January.”

Another BJP MLA Krishna V Salkar also spoke to ANI over the lawsuit and said, “In the job scam, Chief Minister’s wife had come and allegations were made on her and it is not right. Till now we have seen Sulakshana, Chief Minister’s wife do the work of a party worker. To defame Chief Minister, dragging the family to this is not right. We have filed a defamation case. Since this job scam has come, Chief Minister has decided to take strict action against the culprits.”

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

New Delhi:

 Sulakshana Sawant, the wife of Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, has filed a Rs 100 crore defamation suit against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh for allegedly naming her in a “Cash-for-Jobs Scam” in Goa during a press conference earlier this month.

Sulakshana Sawant filed the defamation suit in the Civil Judge Senior Division Court in Bicholim, Goa, against Sanjay Singh.

According to an official press note, the allegations claim that Sanjay Singh linked Sulakshana Sawant to a “Cash-for-Jobs Scam” in Goa, claiming she was involved in corrupt practices.

“These statements were broadcast live on multiple national and regional news channels and shared widely on social media platforms like YouTube, where they have garnered significant views,” said the allegations.

The defamation suit asserts that these false accusations were made without any credible evidence, causing harm to Sulakshana Sawant’s integrity and public image. The statements made by Mr Singh, according to the lawsuit, were not only damaging but were also broadcasted and shared extensively, amplifying the false allegations.

“The defamation occurred during a press conference where Sanjay Singh made direct accusations against Sulakshana Sawant’s integrity and her involvement in the scam, thereby damaging her reputation,” said the press note.

As per an official press note, the legal action sought by Sulakshana Sawant includes seeking Rs 100 crores as damages for defamation, a permanent injunction against Sanjay Singh and his associates, restraining them from making or publishing defamatory statements, videos, or articles about her on any platform, including social media.

Ms Sawant has also demanded a public apology from Sanjay Singh, clarifying the falsehood of his statements and the defamatory video, article.

She has also sought an injunction to prevent further defamatory statements by Mr Singh or his associates during the course of the suit.

Further, Ms Sawant has requested the court to grant the costs of the suit and any other appropriate reliefs.

As per the press note, the baseless and defamatory statements made by Sanjay Singh are “….Over the past 10 years, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government has been involved in corruption and bribery under the guise of job creation. Even the wife of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has been named in the scandal, along with several of his ministers.”

“This is not a small issue — it is a massive job scam involving corruption and bribery in Goa, with direct involvement from the Chief Minister and his ministers. The names of the Chief Minister’s wife and various brokers have been revealed.”

“This job bribery scam became even more serious when the then-Governor, Satyapal Malik, publicly stated that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant’s wife was involved in the job scam, accepting bribes for jobs, committing corruption, and demanding money.”

“This clearly indicates that the Chief Minister of Goa and his entire family are involved in accepting bribes under the pretence of offering jobs.”

Many aspirants had lodged complaints in Goa alleging they were forced to pay lakhs to some people who promised to facilitate jobs in the Goa government.

CM Pramod Sawant had said that the state police are conducting a transparent investigation into the alleged cash-for-jobs scam.

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

Aam Aadmi Party leader and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh surrendered before a special court here on Wednesday in connection with a 2001 street-protest case and was granted bail.

“Sanjay Singh surrendered in the MP-MLA court here. The court granted him bail on a surety bond of Rs 50,000,” his advocate Madan Singh said.

The surety was deposited on the directions of the Allahabad High court which had on August 22 stayed the execution of the sentence awarded by the Sultanpur court.

The special court had on January 11 last year sentenced the AAP leader to three months of rigorous imprisonment and slapped a fine for obstructing traffic and inciting violence during a protest in Uttar Pradesh’s Sultanpur district.

Sanjay Singh and five others were convicted by the MP-MLA court on January 11, 2023 and their appeal was dismissed by the sessions court on August 6 this year.

Hearing an urgent plea on January 11 last year, the Lucknow bench of the HC had held that Sanjay Singh need not surrender before the Sultanpur court till its order comes on his bail plea, which was scheduled for hearing on Thursday.

On August 13 this year, a non-bailable warrant was issued by the MP-MLA court against Sanjay Singh, Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Anoop Sanda and four others.

The HC bench of Justice K S Pawar ordered that Sanjay Singh will have to furnish a personal bond of Rs 50,000 to the satisfaction of the special court, with an undertaking that he or his counsel will appear before it when the revision petition is listed for hearing. 

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

New Delhi:

The AAP complained on Tuesday that it was not invited to the all-party meeting called by the BJP-led NDA government over the turmoil in neighbouring Bangladesh despite it being a national party with 13 MPs.

The neighbouring country has plunged into uncertainty after extraordinary street protests over job quota forcing Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to quit and flee on Monday. She has arrived in India on her way to London, diplomatic sources said.

“The issue of national security does not depend on who the prime minister is happy or angry with. Not inviting the Aam Aadmi Party, a national party with 13 MPs, to this important all-party meeting shows the petty mentality and lack of seriousness of the government,” AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said in a post in Hindi on X.

Later, talking to PTI Videos, Mr Singh said External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar informed the Upper House about the situation in the neighbouring country.

“We have to support the government in such circumstances. This is an issue related to national security. We did not raise any queries and the entire opposition listened to his statement. But the sad thing is will politics overshadow the issue of national security? “Today, when the all party meeting happened, a representative of AAP, which is a national party with 10 Rajya Sabha MPs and three Lok Sabha MPs, was not called. It cannot be an issue of PM’s like or dislike in terms of national security. We have kept this issue in front of the BJP leaders and we would like to know why we were not invited to the crucial meeting on Bangladesh issue,” he added.

#WATCH | AAP MP Sanjay Singh says, ” When it is about national security, it can’t be depended on which party PM is happy with and which party PM is unhappy with. In the issue of national security, they have to take everybody forward. Excluding a national party with 3 MPs in Lok… pic.twitter.com/Q4CFcnJW8J

— ANI (@ANI) August 6, 2024

Echoing similar views, Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said it was “wrong” that their party was not invited to the crucial meeting.

“It is sad. If the prime minister does not like a party then that party is not called to the all party meeting. This is wrong,” he added.

S Jaishankar on Tuesday told an all-party meeting that India has assured help to former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who arrived here on Monday evening, and given her time to decide the future course of action, the sources said.

Briefing political party leaders in Parliament House, S Jaishankar said India has spoken to the Bangladesh army chief to ensure the safety of over 10,000 Indian students in that country, the sources said.

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

New Delhi:

The political tussle between Delhi Lt Governor VK Saxena and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has escalated over concerns regarding jailed Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s health. AAP leader Atishi alleged that Mr Kejriwal’s blood sugar levels had dangerously fallen below 50 mg/dL on multiple occasions while he remains in Tihar Jail under judicial custody.

In a letter addressed to Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar, Lt Governor VK Saxena expressed concerns about Mr Kejriwal’s health, based on a report from the Superintendent of the prison. Mr Saxena alleged that Mr Kejriwal may be deliberately avoiding the prescribed medical diet and medications, including insulin, despite having Type II Diabetes Mellitus. The letter alleged several instances of “willful low-calorie intake” by the Chief Minister, despite being provided with sufficient home-cooked food.

The LG’s office cited discrepancies in the medical reports, indicating variations between glucometer test readings and continuous glucose monitoring system (CGMS) reading. The letter also mentioned a weight loss of 2 kg since Mr Kejriwal’s surrender on June 2 attributing it to insufficient calorie intake.

“The report also suggests loss of weight (now 61.5 kg which earlier was 63.5 Kg on the date of surrender – June 2, 2024). Prima facie, it appears to be due to less calorie intake,” the letter read.

AAP’s Response

The Aam Aadmi Party has categorically denied the LG’s allegations. “The Chief Minister’s sugar level has come below 50 more than 8 times. In such a situation, Chief Minister Kejriwal can go into a coma, and there is also a risk of brain stroke,” Atishi said. 

AAP leader Sanjay Singh also criticised the LG’s letter. In a fiery post on social media, Mr Singh said, “What kind of joke are you making, LG Sir? Would a man reduce his sugar levels at night? This is very dangerous. LG Sir, if you do not know about the disease, then you should not write such a letter. God forbid such a time ever comes to you.”

ये क्या मज़ाक़ कर रहें हैं एलजी साहब?
क्या कोई आदमी ख़ुद की रात में शुगर कम करेगा?
जो की बहुत ख़तरनाक है।
एलजी साहब बीमारी के बारे में पता नहीं तो आपको ऐसी लेटर नहीं लिखनी चाहिए।
ईश्वर ना करें कभी आप के साथ ऐसा समय आए। pic.twitter.com/2Y4OTECYtt

— Sanjay Singh AAP (@SanjayAzadSln) July 20, 2024

Party leader Saurabh Bhardwaj echoed similar sentiments. “I know that the Lieutenant Governor used to work in a cement manufacturing company. I don’t know if he specialises in diabetes,” he said.

The Delhi High Court recently stayed a trial court order granting bail to Mr Kejriwal in the excise policy money laundering case, following a plea by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The court has scheduled a hearing for August 7 to further deliberate on the matter.

Mr Kejriwal’s legal team has argued that the Supreme Court had granted interim bail, seeking time to file a rejoinder. The ED, however, has contended that the bail was granted based on irrelevant considerations, urging the court to cancel it.
 

New Delhi:

Delhi Minister Atishi has been hospitalised after her health deteriorated due to her indefinite hunger strike over the water crisis in the national capital, her party said on Tuesday.

In a post on ‘X’, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said that the 43-year-old water minister was admitted to the emergency ICU at Delhi’s Lok Nayak Hospital after her blood sugar level dropped to 36. 

“Her blood sugar level dropped to 43 at midnight and to 36 at 3 AM, after which LNJP Hospital doctors advised immediate hospitalization. She has not eaten anything for the last five days,” the AAP said and posted pictures of Ms Atishi being taken to the hospital.

“She’s been admitted in the emergency ICU at LNJP. We pray for her speedy recovery,” it added.

Water Minister Atishi’s health deteriorates

Her blood sugar level dropped to 43 at midnight and to 36 at 3 AM, after which LNJP Hospital doctors advised immediate hospitalization. She has not eaten anything for the last five days and is on an indefinite hunger strike… pic.twitter.com/nl5iTfnwnT

— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) June 24, 2024

Ms Atishi, who began her hunger strike on June 21 amid a prolonged heatwave in Delhi, has demanded the Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled Haryana release water for the national capital. She has accused Haryana of depriving nearly 28 lakh people of Delhi by releasing 100 million gallons per day (MGD) less water.

ALSO READ | Amid Delhi Water Crisis, AAP’s Appeal To Haryana On “Humanitarian Ground”

“There are 2.8 million people in the city who are aching for just a drop of water,” she said on Monday, the fourth day of her fast.

“My blood pressure and sugar levels are dropping and my weight has gone down. Ketone level is very high which can have harmful effects in the long run,” she said in a video message posted on her official X account.

अनिश्चितक़ालीन अनशन का चौथा दिन- जलमंत्री आतिशी का दिल्लीवालों के लिए संदेश

-Posted by Team Atishi#PaaniSatyagrah4thDaypic.twitter.com/Fc8hkdjtXB

— Atishi (@AtishiAAP) June 24, 2024

No matter how much my body suffers, I will continue the fast till Haryana releases water, the AAP minister said.

Atishi Lost 2 Kg In 4 Days: AAP

The Aam Aadmi Party on Monday said that Atishi has lost about 2 kg weight in the four days of her indefinite fast.

In a statement, the party said, “Water Minister Atishi’s weight is decreasing unexpectedly. Before sitting on hunger strike on June 21, her weight was 65.8 kg which has come down to 63.6 kg on the fourth day of the hunger strike. That is, her weight has decreased by 2.2 kg in just four days,” the statement said.

ALSO READ | Atishi, Raghav Chadha Meet Arvind Kejriwal In Jail, Discuss Water Crisis

The party also said that her blood sugar level has decreased by 28 units on the fourth day as compared to the first day of the hunger strike.

Earlier on Sunday, Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena held a meeting with a delegation of AAP leaders and said that Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has assured that he will look into whether his state can provide extra water to the city.

New Delhi:

Alleging the Tihar Jail administration cancelled Delhi Minister Atishi’s meeting with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal at the last moment, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh on Wednesday said “Even the British rule did not see this kind of behaviour”.

According to PTI, Atishi’s name was added after Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj’s name on the list of visitors for Mr Kejriwal. She will be meeting him on April 29. PTI reported that Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot’s name will also be added to the list of visitors and he will be meeting Mr Kejriwal soon.

Addressing a press conference, Mr Singh said that Mr Bharadwaj and Atishi were supposed to meet the chief minister in Tihar.

“But Atishi’s meeting was not confirmed yesterday. Delhi Education Minister Atishi applied for the meeting and at the last moment her meeting was cancelled,” Mr Singh said.

“After her meeting was cancelled, party national general secretary (organisation) Sandeep Pathak was supposed to accompany Bharadwaj, but he was informed around 9.30 am today that even his meeting was cancelled,” he added.

PTI reported that Mr Pathak himself did not come.

Mr Singh questioned the reasons behind the move and feared that Mr Kejriwal might not even be allowed to meet his wife in future.

“You are cancelling an MP’s meeting, a minister’s meeting with Kejriwal. You had cancelled my meeting with him earlier. Tomorrow you might cancel the meeting with his wife. Even the British rule did not see this kind of behaviour,” he said.

An inmate is allowed to write down the names of 10 people, including his family, whom he is allowed to meet, he said.

“If any prisoner wants to meet any of these, he cannot be stopped from meeting these people,” he added.

Mr Singh said that he would be writing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena regarding the same.

“He is being meted out worse treatment than the one meted out to terrorists or hardcore criminals. They are allowed to meet in person their lawyers and their families but you are stopping his meetings,” he said.

“If he kept asking for insulin for 23 days and you did not provide it to him, why is he being provided the same insulin after 23 days? This means that we were right throughout that the CM’s life was being played with, a deep conspiracy was being hatched to kill him, which we have been saying again and again,” Mr Singh said.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader said that “no reason was given” for cancellation of the meeting.

Earlier in the day, Mr Bharadwaj had a 30-minute-long meeting with Mr Kejriwal.

“I had a half-an-hour meeting in the ‘mulakat jangla’. He said that people should not worry about him. He said he is strong and he will continue his fight with the blessings of the people of Delhi,” he told reporters after the meeting.

The ‘mulakat jangla’ is an iron mesh which separates the inmate from the visitor in a room inside the jail. A visitor and an inmate can talk to each other by sitting on different sides of the mesh.

Mr Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case on March 21.

The chief minister has not stepped down post his arrest with the AAP asserting that he would continue to run the government from jail. 

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

New Delhi:

AAP MP Sanjay Singh on Saturday said he stayed “resolute and brave” during his six-month stay in Tihar jail and even asked his family members not to “shed a tear” during their virtual interactions.

The Rajya Sabha member was granted bail in the Delhi liquor policy-linked money laundering case by the Supreme Court on Tuesday. He walked out of Tihar jail on Wednesday after being lodged there for nearly six months.

In an interview to PTI, he recalled his days inside Tihar, which currently houses Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and senior AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain.

“The initial 11 days were quite difficult. I was inside a small cell and was not allowed to step outside. I was under police security. Subsequently, I spoke to the jail administration and demanded that I be given rights as a normal prisoner,” he told PTI.

Thereafter, he said, he was allowed to move out at fixed timings under police security.

“They decided to allow me to go to the music room and badminton court at fixed times. Even the issues related to food were addressed,” he said.

The senior party leader said that he used jail time to read books since he did not have a mobile phone.

“I read in those six months — the writings of Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, Dr (Ram Manohar) Lohia, Bhagat Singh. Maine 6 mahine mein utna padha jitna main 6 saal mein nahi padh paaya (in these six months I read more than what I had read in six years),” he said.

After spending six months in Tihar, he said his “morale is quite strong” and it will strengthen his fight ahead.

“Either you sit at home or fight. We will fight,” he said.

While Mr Singh was in jail, his wife Anita was taking care of everything. Talking about how his family dealt with his absence, he said he spent the time bravely and even asked his family to stay strong.

“It is a tough situation for any family if they battle such circumstances. But the question is how can we stand strongly? I was so cautious. I knew that the video conferencing that takes place between inmates and their families is recorded,” he said.

He said he would try to regale his family with interesting anecdotes from the jail or some funny incident.

“I would tell them stories that make them laugh. The first day they asked me how are you, how is your health. I told them to always ask me ‘jail waale kaise hain‘. Nobody was allowed to cry. I told them this is being recorded. The people sitting at the top would be happy seeing them in tears or seeing Sanjay Singh dejected,” he said.

“I was resolute and brave throughout my jail days,” he said.

For a major part of his stay, he was housed in cell number 28 in jail number two but was later transferred to jail number five.

“This is weird. I was transferred from jail number two to jail number five. Manish Sisodia is in a separate jail and Satyendar Jain is in a separate jail. I don’t know why they consider us such big accused that we were all kept in separate jails. I was under CCTV surveillance 24×7,” he said.

Mr Singh was admitted to ILBS Hospital when he got to know about the Supreme Court granting his bail.

“I have been undergoing treatment at ILBS Hospital for the last three-to-four years. A report had come after which the doctor suggested liver biopsy. At that time, I was admitted to ILBS for that,” he said.

Mr Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 in the same case as Mr Singh. Elaborating on the arrest of Mr Kejriwal and its impact, he said it has given strength to party workers in terms of working and reaching out to people.

“Today Kejriwal is not here but workers are trying to fill that gap. The people of Delhi will give a befitting reply (in elections),” he said.

In this scenario, Arvind Kejriwal’s wife Sunita Kejriwal has come in the limelight.

She has addressed three digital briefings so far, in which she read out his messages from the ED custody and Tihar jail. In a political debut of sorts, she read out his message at the INDIA bloc ‘maharally’ on March 31.

“She has a key role since she is the only one who is able to meet him and through her, the directions reach party workers. It is a very emotional situation for her. I saw tears in her eyes for the first time after I met her (following his release from Tihar). The way our families, our workers, the people of Delhi have been tormented, the people will give a reply,” he asserted.

Mr Singh alleged a “conspiracy” behind the arrest of Mr Kejriwal and said that he, along with Mr Jain, Mr Sisodia, will be out soon.

“This is not a good thing. If you are starting this practice of dictatorship, it’s not a good thing. We will have to work harder.

“If Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi was certain about victory, he would not have done these. Freezing bank accounts of the Congress, arresting chief minister, there is a fear in them. BJP is losing elections. They are doing this out of fear. No politician will do such things unless there is a fear of loss.

“This is backfiring on them. People are developing sympathy… with Kejriwal,” he added.

As for the Lok Sabha election campaign, Mr Singh said he will work for the party in whatever role he will be assigned, and will campaign for candidates of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as well as the INDIA bloc.

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

New Delhi:

The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted bail to Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh, even as it posed tough questions to the Enforcement Directorate – which had arrested Mr Singh – including asking why he had been jailed for over six months without a trial or recovery of alleged bribe of Rs 2 crore.

“Nothing has been recovered… there is no trace (of the money allegedly received by the AAP as bribes for allotting liquor licences to the ‘South Group’)…” the top court noted to the probe agency.

The court then directed Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for the ED, to confer with the agency and decide if further custody of Mr Singh is warranted at this stage. Mr Singh was released after the agency said it did not require the AAP leader and that it would concede bail.

“I am making this statement (not opposing bail to Mr Singh) without going into the merits of the case and keeping all the rights and contentions open,” Mr Raju said.

The Supreme Court had earlier observed that Dinesh Arora, one of the accused who later turned approver, or government witness, had not actually implicated Mr Singh in his initial statements. Mr Singh was arrested on the basis of statements by Mr Arora, who was released on bail in August.

Sanjay Singh has been in Delhi’s Tihar Jail since his arrest October last year in the alleged liquor excise policy scam, which has roiled the opposition party – and seen the arrests of Mr Sisodia and his former boss, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal – weeks before a general election.

Mr Singh was arrested on money laundering charges linked to the alleged scam. 

The AAP leader has seen earlier bail pleas – including in the Delhi High Court – turned down; in February, in fact, the High Court said “no ground” for relief had been made.

READ | AAP’s Sanjay Singh’s Bail Plea Rejected In Money Laundering Case

The ED then had opposed the bail plea, alleging Mr Singh was involved in acquiring, possessing, concealing, dissipating and using proceeds of the crime generated from the alleged liquor scam.

AAP’s Sanjay Singh Gets Bail

That relief was finally granted this afternoon, after a bench of Justice Sanjiv Khanna, Justice Dipankar Datta, and Justice Prasanna B Varale said Mr Singh could be released during pendency of the trial.

The court said the terms and conditions of the release are to be fixed by the trial court. What is significant, though, is that Mr Singh can participate in political activities, meaning he can campaign for the AAP, which faces a potential shortage of big-name leaders in the run-up to the polls.

He has, however, been cautioned against commenting on the ED’s investigation.

The court also said bail to Mr Singh could not be treated as precedent in similar cases.

READ | “Court Asked About Money, Probe Agency Had No Answer”: AAP

News of Mr Singh’s release has been welcomed by his colleague and Delhi PWD Minister Atishi, who posted “satyameva jayate“, or “the truth will win”, on X (formerly Twitter). Atishi has been leading the AAP’s fight back and protestations of innocence since Chief Minister Kejriwal was arrested.

READ | Atishi Claims BJP Switch Offer, Says These AAP Leaders To Be Arrested Soon

This morning she claimed four other senior AAP leaders, including herself, had been earmarked for arrest by central agencies – in connection with the alleged liquor policy scam – if they do not join the Bharatiya Janata Party. The opposition has routinely accused the BJP of using central agencies to target rivals, particularly before an election. The BJP has equally routinely denied these charges.

NDTV Explains | Why Enforcement Directorate Arrested Arvind Kejriwal

What Is Alleged Delhi Liquor Policy Scam?

The Enforcement Directorate believes the now-scrapped liquor policy provided an impossibly high profit margin of 185 per cent for retailers and 12 per cent for wholesellers. Of the latter, six per cent – over Rs 600 crore – were bribes and the money was allegedly used to fund the AAP’s poll campaigns.

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

Chief Minister Kejriwal was declared the “kingpin” of this alleged scam by the ED and arrested on March 21. Mr Kejriwal, who continues to run the Delhi government, is now in Tihar Jail till April 15.

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