News Analysis India

Tag: Arvind Kejriwal

  • BJP Slams Kejriwal For Ignoring Question on Maliwal ‘Assault’, AAP’s Sanjay Singh Defends Silence |

    The BJP attacked Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday for avoiding media questions about the alleged assault on his party MP Swati Maliwal at his residence in Delhi, accusing him of behaving more like a “goon”. The Aam Aadmi Party convener was speaking at a press conference earlier in the day in Lucknow with Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav, when the Delhi chief minister was questioned about the incident. Kejriwal avoided the question, which was fielded by AAP MP Sanjay Singh, who was also present. Singh stated that his party has already taken a clear position on the issue.

    Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva chastised the chief minister for avoiding media questions and demanded his resignation immediately, accepting responsibility for the incident.

    BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia claimed Kejriwal is the main “criminal” in the incident in which his aide Bibhav Kumar allegedly physically attacked Maliwal at the chief minister’s residence. Bhatia also mentioned a phone call Maliwal made to the Delhi Police on the day of the incident.

    “Kejriwal’s silence speaks volumes. “Out of jail, he’s more of a ‘goonda’ than a chief minister,” Bhatia told journalists. Bhatia noted that Bibhav Kumar was photographed with Kejriwal during his visit to Lucknow.
    At the press conference, Sanjay Singh used incidents of crimes against women in Manipur, women wrestlers’ complaints against BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, and the Prajwal Revanna case to criticise the BJP.

    The AAP has made its position clear in the Maliwal case, and no one should politicise it, Singh said.
    Bhatia noted that Singh admitted that a condemnable incident had occurred against Maliwal, and that Kejriwal was expected to act in a case involving a party colleague. Instead, he described the accused as a “twin brother” travelling with him.

    “This shows Kejriwal has no commitment to justice for women, while the BJP is fighting for justice for an opposition leader,” he said, accusing him of cowardice. Bhatia demanded that the AAP leader break his silence or, if he is a coward, resign. He said that the woman The Rajya Sabha MP has been incommunicado since the incident, and the BJP leader wondered if she had been kidnapped or forcibly removed from the public eye.

    He also criticised Yadav for attempting to downplay the incident by claiming that it is not a big deal. Targeting the Samajwadi Party, Bhatia recalled the late SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav’s controversial defence of some men accused of rape, claiming that “they are boys, they make mistakes.”

    Sachdeva echoed Bhatia’s attack on Akhilesh Yadav, saying nothing more was expected of him. Sachdeva stated that Kejriwal was photographed with Bibhav Kumar and Sanjay Singh at Lucknow airport, demonstrating how seriously the Chief Minister is taking the matter.

    “They are travelling with Kumar, whom they consider an offender. “Lies, deception, and cunning are the hallmarks of Kejriwal and his Aam Aadmi Party,” the Delhi BJP president charged. “Was it not a responsibility of Kejriwal who holds the constitutional post of chief minister and was present at his home at the time of the incident, to lodge a police complaint,” he asked.

  • Maliwal ‘assault’: Delhi Police team reaches MP’s residence to seek details of incident

    A Delhi Police team reached AAP MP Swati Maliwal’s house on Thursday in connection with the alleged assault on her at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence, officials said. Led by an Additional Commissioner of Police (ACP) rank officer, the team has gone to the Rajya MP’s residence to seek details of the incident, they said.

    On Monday morning, Maliwal went to the Civil Lines police station here and alleged that a member of Kejriwal’s personal staff “assaulted” her at the chief minister’s official residence, police officials said. Police have not yet received a formal complaint.

    Earlier on Thursday, the National Commission for Women (NCW) summoned Kejriwal’s aide Bibhav Kumar over Maliwal’s allegations. His hearing is scheduled for Friday at 11 am. On Tuesday, senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh had said that the incident with Maliwal was “highly condemnable”.

  • Swati Maliwal: Swati Maliwal assault case: AAP MP’s ex-husband claims her life under threat, attacks Sanjay Singh – The Economic Times Video

    Amid the alleged assault incident of AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal at the Delhi Chief Minister’s residence, Naveen Jaihind, the former husband of Swati Maliwal, called AAP leader Sanjay Singh the “parrot” of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, adding that a case should be lodged against Arvind Kejriwal. Speaking to ANI, Naveen Jaihind on Wednesday alleged that Arvind Kejriwal’s House is not a CM house but is actually a “gutter house.”

  • `No Modi Sarkar On June 4….`: Arvind Kejriwal Launches Attack On BJP In Haryana

    Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal claimed that the Modi government will come to power this time as the BJP will not be able to secure even 230 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

  • AAP MP Swati Maliwal Alleges Assault By Arvind Kejriwal`s Staff: Delhi Police

    Maliwal, during her call to the Police, alleged that a member of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s personal staff misbehaved with her. 

  • Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Free electricity to ‘no’ Agniveer scheme: Arvind Kejriwal announces ’10 guarantees’ for LS polls 2024 – The Economic Times Video

    Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday announced “Kejriwal ki Guarantee”, listing 10 works that will be done on war footing, including to “free” Indian land from Chinese occupation, if the INDIA bloc forms government at the Centre. The opposition bloc, which has parties such as Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Congress, Trinamool Congress, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam among others as its members, was formed to take on the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance in the Lok Sabha polls.

  • Kejriwal Asks BJP ‘Who Will Be Your Next PM Face?’ As Modi Is Turning 75 Soon |

    In his first address to party workers and supporters after being granted interim bail by the Supreme Court in the excise policy case, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi who he said had “left no stone unturned” to crush the Aam Admi Party.

    Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal says “…These people ask the INDIA alliance who will be their Prime Minister. I ask BJP who will be your Prime Minister? PM Modi is turning 75, on 17th September. He made a rule that leaders in the party would retire after 75 years…LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Sumitra Mahajan, and Yashwant Sinha were retired and now PM Modi is going to retire on 17th September…If their government is formed, they will first dispose of Yogi Adityanath and then make Amit Shah the Prime Minister of the country. PM Modi is asking for votes for Amit Shah. Will Amit Shah fulfil Modi’s guarantee?…”

    “…Our Aam Aadmi Party is a small party, spread over two states. But the Prime Minister left no stone unturned to crush our party and sent four leaders to jail simultaneously. If four top leaders of big parties go to jail, the party ends. The Prime Minister wants to crush AAP…PM Modi himself believes that AAP is the one that will give future to the country…,” alleged Kejriwal at a press conference at the party headquarters here.

    Kejriwal visited the Hanuman temple and at Sri Navgrah Temple in the national capital and will hit the campaign trail addressing a mega roadshow later this evening. “I am coming straight from jail to you. It feels great to be with you after 50 days. I just went to Hanuman temple with my wife and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. Bajrang Bali’s blessings are on our party and us. It is by his grace that I am among you today…,” Kejriwal said.

    “No one had expected that I would be out of jail amid the 2024 Lok Sabha polls,” he said in his address, in which Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Aam Admi Party leaders including Atishi, Gopal Rai, Sanjay Singh and Saurabh Bhardwaj were present.

    The Supreme Court on Friday gave interim bail to the Aam Admi Party convenor till June 1. However, as per the terms of his bail, the Delhi Chief Minister cannot make any comment about his role in the Delhi liquor scam case.
    Kejriwal spent over 50 days in Tihar Jail after being arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in an excise policy case on March 21, days after the election schedule for the general elections was announced.

    The bail is applicable till June 1 and Kejriwal has to surrender to authorities on June 2. The Delhi CM can participate in the poll campaigning but can not attend his office as Chief Minister.

  • ‘Arrested without proper investigation’: RJD MP Manoj Jha on interim bail to Kejriwal

    Hailing the Supreme Court verdict granting interim bail to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in connection with the Delhi excise policy case, RJD MP Manoj Jha on Saturday said he was ‘happy’ with the reprieve for the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as he was arrested without a ‘proper investigation’.

    Speaking to on Saturday, the RJD leader said, “He (Kejriwal) was arrested without a proper investigation just as (former Jharkhand CM) Hemant Soren-ji and several others. We are happy that he was granted (interim) bail and allowed to campaign for the Lok Sabha elections. If he (Hemant Soren) gets bail, they (BJP) will be wiped out of Jharkhand as well.”

    Earlier, on Saturday, the Delhi CM was granted interim bail after 50 days of incarceration at the Tihar jail following his arrest by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in the excise policy case. The AAP supremo was arrested on March 21, after several hours of questioning.The Delhi CM was granted a 22-day reprieve, till June 1, on the condition that he shall not visit the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) or the Secretariat. AllUttar PradeshMaharashtraTamil NaduWest BengalBiharKarnatakaAndhra PradeshTelanganaKeralaMadhya PradeshRajasthanDelhiOther StatesAs per the court order, Kejriwal was asked to furnish bail bonds of Rs 50,000 with one surety of the same amount. He was asked to surrender on June 2, which coincides with the final day of polling for the 18th Lok Sabha.While granting Kejriwal interim bail, the apex court said he would not interact with any of the witnesses or have access to official files connected with the case.He also can’t “make any comment with regard to his role” in the present case, the bench ordered.The bench also made it clear that the grant of interim bail will not be treated as an expression of its opinion on the merits of the case or the criminal appeal which is pending for its consideration.

    Earlier, in April, AAP MP Sanjay Singh was released on bail from Tihar jail in the liquor policy case following an order by the apex court. Singh was released after spending over six months in jail in connection with the case.

  • Arvind Kejriwal: “If a dacoit gets bail, then there is no point in celebrating”: BJP’s Agnimitra Paul on interim bail to Arvind Kejriwal

    Slamming the Aam Aadmi Party for “celebrating” the Supreme Court’s granting of interim bail to its leader, Arvind Kejriwal, Agnimitra Paul, the BJP MLA from Asansol in West Bengal, said, “If a dacoit gets bail, then there is no point in celebrating.”

    “If a dacoit gets bail, then there is no point in celebrating. He is a hypocrite who once said that he was against misgovernance, but now he has become the face of misgovernance. Whoever has looted the public money has to go to jail,” Paul told ANI.

    Kejriwal was released from jail after spending over 50 days following his arrest by the Directorate of Enforcement on March 21 in connection with the Delhi excise policy case. He has been granted interim bail till June 1 with conditions that he shall not visit the Office of the Chief Minister or the Delhi Secretariat.Opposition parties across the country welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said that the CM has not been proven “innocent”.AllUttar PradeshMaharashtraTamil NaduWest BengalBiharKarnatakaAndhra PradeshTelanganaKeralaMadhya PradeshRajasthanDelhiOther StatesCongress Lok Sabha candidate from North-East Delhi, Kanhaiya Kumar, said on Friday that the Supreme Court’s granting of interim bail to Kejriwal is a befitting reply to those who want to impose dictatorship in the country.”I would like to congratulate the entire country because Arvind Kejriwal has been given bail by the Supreme Court. This is a befitting reply to those who want to impose dictatorship in the country,” Kumar told reporters here. “Democracy will prevail in the country, and INDIA alliance will continue its fight against the NDA. People want change in the country as well as Delhi,” he added.CM Kejriwal received a warm welcome from supporters as well as his family members on returning from prison.

    “I had promised to come back soon, here I am,” Kejriwal said while addressing supporters enroute his residence from jail.

    The Chief Minister is also scheduled to meet the press on Saturday at 1 pm at the Aam Aadmi Party office in Delhi.

    AAP leaders including Gopal Rai, Atishi, Saurabh Bhardwaj, Swati Maliwal and Kailash Gehlot thanked the top court for granting interim bail to the party chief.

    Delhi Minister and AAP leader Gopal Rai said, “There is a wave of happiness in the entire country. SC’s decision has shown a ray of hope. The entire country is thankful to the SC. The fight against dictatorship and to save democracy and constitution will be strengthened after the release of Arvind Kejriwal.”

    Delhi Minister and AAP leader Atishi called it a “historic day” and said that it is a victory for democracy and the Constitution. “It is a historic day, not just for AAP but the entire country. BJP has left no stone unturned to turn it into a dictatorial country…SC’s decision has given hope to the people that there will be an end to this dictatorship. It is a win of the democracy & constitution,” Atishi said.

    Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva said, “He has been granted bail for the election campaign till June 1 but what after that? Getting interim bail does not mean that you have been proven innocent. It will not affect the elections, BJP will win all 7 seats of Delhi.”

    Supreme Court lawyer Shadan Farasat representing Arvind Kejriwal said that the order is operable till June 2 adding that there are no restrictions on what he can say or not say in his election campaigning.

    Earlier in April this year, AAP MP Sanjay Singh was released on bail from Tihar jail following the top court’s order. Singh was released after spending over six months in jail in connection with the excise policy case.

    The AAP supremo is likely to participate in the election campaigns of the party in the run-up to the general elections in Delhi scheduled to be held on May 25.

  • ‘Contradicting Yourself’: Supreme Court’s Strong Remarks On Arvind Kejriwal’s Plea Against Arrest |

    The Supreme Court of India yesterday heard Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s plea challenging his arrest. While the CM’s counsel contended that his arrest was illegal and was done merely based on suspicion, the apex court made some strong remarks. Appearing for Kejriwal, senior lawyer Abhishek Singhvi said that a person can be arrested only on evidence of guilt. Referring to Section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, Singhvi contended that the investigating agency had not recorded the statement of the Delhi Chief Minister, said reports.

    However, the top court reacted sharply to this saying that the petitioner is contradicting his own statement. “Are you not contradicting yourself by saying that his statements under Section 50 of the PMLA were not recorded?” said the court adding that first the CM did not appear on summons for recording of statements under Section 50 and now saying it was not recorded. Arvind Kejriwal had refused to appear before the Enforcement Directorate despite the probe agency issuing nine summons to him. 

    Kejriwal has moved the Supreme Court challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in the Delhi liquor policy case. Kejriwal contended that his arrest was illegal, politically motivated and aimed at toppling the Delhi government. 

    According to reports, the top court noted that the petitioner cannot take the defence that his statement was not recorded because he did not go for it when summoned. To this, Singhvi responded, “Non-recording of Section 50 statements is not a defence to arrest me for reasons of believing there is guilt…The ED came to my house to arrest me. Then why can’t ED record my statement under Section 50 at my house?” he added.

    The Enforcement Directorate has submitted before the court that Kejriwal was avoiding interrogation while recording his statement under Section 17 of the PMLA. The ED also accused the CM of being evasive and uncooperative. 

    The top court also asked why Kejriwal did not file a plea for bail in the trial court, Singhvi told the bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta that they have approached the Supreme Court as it has ‘wider jurisdiction’.

    Arvind Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 and is currently lodged in Tihar jail. The hearing in the case will continue today.