The BJP mocked Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s resignation announcement and likened his release from jail to a tempting sweet that is placed before him but remains out of reach.
In a video released by BJP Delhi on X, the party outlined the conditions under which Arvind Kejriwal was granted bail. The video emphasised that if one carefully considers the court’s terms, there is little reason for celebration.
The BJP suggested that the bail conditions were stringent, and Kejriwal’s release should not be viewed as a victory, cautioning against any premature celebrations by the AAP.
Reacting to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s remark about resigning in two days, BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari called it a “PR stunt”.
According to Bhandari, Kejriwal recognises that his image among Delhiites has shifted from being perceived as an honest leader to one associated with corruption. He argued that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is now seen nationwide as a corrupt party.
Bhandari claimed that Kejriwal’s move is an attempt to restore his tarnished image and likened it to the “Sonia Gandhi model,” where she controlled the government from behind the scenes. He also suggested that AAP fears losing the upcoming Delhi elections and is trying to shift blame by making someone else a scapegoat.
Another BJP leader, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, stated that Kejriwal is not stepping down as a sacrifice, but is compelled to resign due to a Supreme Court order prohibiting him from returning to the Chief Minister’s Office or signing files.
Sirsa emphasised that Kejriwal has no choice but to resign and criticised his statement about seeking a verdict from the people, reminding that Delhi voters had already delivered their judgment three months ago when the Aam Aadmi Party lost all seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi.
He further claimed that Kejriwal is using the two-day period to convince MLAs to appoint his wife as the next CM and accused him of being forced out of office due to his involvement in the liquor scam.
BJP leader Shazia Ilmi also reacted to Kejriwal’s resignation announcement and said, “Arvind Kejriwal is a master of political maneuvering. He knows that he should have resigned in those 5 months when he was in jail…He is deliberately talking about resignation as this is the only way to get sympathy…He should have resigned a long time ago. I think the people of Delhi have completely understood his reality…”
KEJRIWAL’S RESIGNATION MERE GIMMICK, SAYS CONGRESS
Reacting to Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s announcement of his resignation, Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit dismissed it as a “mere gimmick”. Dikshit emphasised that Kejriwal should have resigned a long time ago, adding, “There is no question of him becoming CM again”.
He criticised the fact that this is the first time a leader, released on bail, and has been instructed by the Supreme Court not to return to the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) or sign any official papers. Dikshit suggested that such conditions reflect the Court’s concerns about Kejriwal potentially tampering with evidence, saying the Supreme Court is treating him like a criminal.
He further remarked that there is no connection between morality and Arvind Kejriwal in this situation.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was granted bail on September 13 by the Supreme Court in the liquor policy case. The AAP supremo has been in jail since April 1 for his alleged role in the Delhi excise policy case.
The case against Arvind Kejriwal centers on accusations of irregularities in the formulation of the now-defunct Delhi excise policy for 2021-22. It is alleged that Kejriwal, along with other AAP leaders, intentionally created loopholes in the policy to receive kickbacks from liquor lobbyists.
Investigative agencies claimed that the funds obtained through this scheme were funneled into AAP’s election campaign in Goa. The CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) are jointly investigating the case, with Kejriwal having been arrested by the ED on March 21.