Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced, “I will resign from my position in two days. I will not sit in the CM chair until I receive a verdict from the people. I plan to visit every house and street to seek their judgment before resuming office.”
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#WATCH | Delhi: CM Arvind Kejriwal says, “… I am going to resign from the CM position after two days. I will not sit on the CM chair until the people give their verdict… I will go to every house and street and not sit on the CM chair till I get a verdict from the people…” pic.twitter.com/6f7eI7NVcN
— ANI (@ANI) September 15, 2024
Arvind Kejriwal also called for elections to be held in November 2024 instead of February 2025. He expressed frustration over what he perceives as restrictions imposed by the Supreme Court, stating, “Some people say that we will not be able to work because of restrictions imposed by the Supreme Court. Even they did not leave any stone unturned in imposing restrictions on us.” He vowed to return to the Chief Minister’s office only after being re-elected, emphasizing, “If you think I am honest, vote for me in large numbers.” He further announced that until elections are held, another party member would serve as Chief Minister, and a meeting of the MLAs would soon elect the next CM.
Addressing AAP workers, Kejriwal accused the BJP of attempting to undermine the party and his morale. He asserted, “They wanted to break the party, break Kejriwal’s courage and morale… they have made a formula– break parties, break MLAs, send leaders to jail.” He claimed the BJP aimed to form a government in Delhi by incarcerating him but failed to dismantle his party or its support base.
Kejriwal also explained his decision not to resign as Chief Minister, stating, “I didn’t resign because I wanted to protect the country’s democracy… They have made a new formula — wherever they lose, they send the CM to jail and form their government.” He urged other opposition chief ministers to resist resigning if faced with false charges.
BJP’s Response
In response, the BJP dismissed Kejriwal’s actions as a public relations stunt. BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari criticized Kejriwal, stating, “This is a PR stunt of Arvind Kejriwal. He has understood that his image among the people of Delhi is not of an honest leader but of a corrupt leader. Today Aam Aadmi Party is known across the country as a corrupt party. Under his PR stunt, he wants to restore his image.” Bhandari further suggested that Kejriwal is attempting to use a tactic similar to Sonia Gandhi’s, where she made Manmohan Singh a figurehead while controlling the government from behind the scenes. He concluded, “They have understood today that the Aam Aadmi Party is losing the Delhi elections and the people of Delhi cannot vote in their name, so they want to make someone else a scapegoat.”
Kejriwal Granted Bail On Friday
The Supreme Court granted bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday, ruling that the CBI’s arrest was unjustified. Justice Ujjal Bhuyan declared that continued detention by the CBI on the same charges was no longer warranted. He emphasized the principle of presumption of innocence, stating that bail should be the standard and imprisonment an exception. He further noted that the pre-trial process should not serve as a form of punishment.
He further announced that Arvind Kejriwal’s criminal appeal had been granted, overturning the High Court’s decision. As a result, the Delhi Chief Minister was released on bail.
Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 11 in connection with the Delhi excise policy case and was released on bail last week. The Supreme Court, while granting bail, prohibited him from entering the Chief Minister’s office or signing any official documents.
