Former Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor, Arvind Kejriwal, addressed a gathering at Jantar Mantar on Sunday, stating that he resigned as CM because he had no desire for the position and had entered politics to serve the country, not for personal gain.
Speaking at the ‘Janta ki Adalat’ event, Kejriwal emphasized, “I resigned because I did not come into politics to do corruption. I don’t have any greed for the CM’s chair or to earn money. I worked in the Income Tax department and could have made crores if I wanted. I entered politics for Bharat Mata, to change the politics of this country.”
Not a typical politician
Kejriwal, asserting that he is not a typical politician, claimed that accusations of corruption have deeply affected him. “Politicians have thick skin, but I care when BJP calls me a thief or corrupt. I am heartbroken, and that’s why I resigned,” he added.
He further mentioned that he has only “earned respect” and does not even own a house in Delhi. “I will leave the CM’s bungalow in a few days. I have earned only love in the past ten years, and now people are offering me a place to stay. After the Shradh period, I will leave the bungalow and stay with one of you,” Kejriwal stated.
Aiming the BJP, Kejriwal accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of attempting to discredit him and his party. “We ran the government honestly, provided free electricity, water, healthcare, and quality education. However, Modi ji felt threatened by our honesty and conspired to label Kejriwal, Sisodia, and AAP as dishonest, putting every leader in jail,” he claimed.
Kejriwal also addressed the audience, asking if they believed he was honest. “If I were dishonest, would I have provided free electricity or built schools? I want to know if you think I’m the thief or if those who jailed me are,” he challenged.
Questioning the RSS, Kejriwal directed his remarks at RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat, asking, “Is it right for Modi ji to bring down governments by using ED and CBI? Modi ji has included the most corrupt leaders in his party, whom he himself called corrupt. Does the RSS agree with this? Have you ever stopped Modi ji from doing wrong things?”
Kejriwal announced that he would not resume his role as CM until the people of Delhi declared him “honest.” He also called for advancing the polls in Delhi to November, ahead of the scheduled February elections.
His resignation came shortly after he was released from Tihar jail, following bail granted by the Supreme Court in connection with a corruption case related to the alleged Delhi Excise Policy scam.