New Delhi, Jun 20 (PTI) The AAP on Thursday said the decision to grant bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was the victory of truth, adding, it is a “tight slap” on the face of the BJP.
Celebrations erupted outside the CM’s residence and party’s headquarters as crackers were burst by AAP workers.
In a post on X, the Aam Aadmi Party said that truth can be troubled, not defeated.
Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement directorate on March 21 in a money laundering case linked to the now scrapped excise policy of his government.
In a major relief to the party, a court here on Thursday granted Kejriwal bail in a money laundering case stemming from the alleged excise scam.
Special Judge Niyay Bindu also declined the Enforcement Directorate’s prayer to keep in abeyance the bail order for 48 hours to allow the central agency to appeal against it in a superior court.
Kejriwal had been in Tihar Jail for nearly 60 days. On May 10, the Supreme Court granted interim bail to him till June 1 to campaign in the Lok Sabha elections, saying that he would have to surrender and go back to jail on June 2.
The move is seen as a boost to the morale of Aam Aadmi Party leaders and workers, ending uncertainty over the party’s future after Kejriwal’s arrest. The AAP has also received shot in the arm months before the Delhi Assembly elections.
In the recent Lok Sabha elections, the party won just three seats out of 13 in Punjab and drew a blank in Delhi which has seven seats.
“Every worker is enthused by this victory. We are very happy. It is a tight slap on the face of the BJP. If the BJP has any shame left, they should now close these fake cases and release those in jail,” AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh told reporters after meeting the CM’s family.
He also alleged that the only aim of the BJP to put Kejriwal behind the bar was to end his political career and crush AAP.
Soon after Kejriwal got bail, senior AAP leader Atishi in a post on X said, ‘Satyamev Jayate” (truth alone triumphs).
Feeling vindicated, the Aam Aadmi Party said truth cannot be defeated, only harassed.
“Truth can be troubled, not defeated. Rejecting all the objections raised by BJP’s ED, the Honorable Court has granted bail to Delhi Chief Minister @ArvindKejriwal,” the party said in a post on X.
Other party leaders also echoed similar sentiments. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said “truth triumphs” after the decision.
“Faith in the court – Kejriwal ji gets bail – truth triumphs,” said Mann in a post on X.
Advocate Rishi Kumar, who is in Kejriwal’s legal team, said that the bail procedures will be done on Friday morning and the chief minister will be out of jail by the afternoon.
Delhi cabinet minister Saurabh Bharadwaj noted that waiting till Supreme Court provided any relief in PMLA cases “was suffocating the entire judicial system.” “It was very important that the lower courts also provide timely justice. With every case going to the Supreme Court, this was unnecessarily increasing the burden of the Supreme Court,” he added.
AAP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha said, “This is victory of truth, victory of justice. Heartfelt thanks to the honorable Court for granting bail to Kejriwal.” Kejriwal had surrendered at the Tihar jail here after his interim bail granted by the Supreme Court in the excise policy-linked money laundering case ended on June 1.
At the time of his surrender, Kejriwal had said, “I am going back to jail not because I was involved in corruption but because I raised voice against dictatorship.” PTI SLB VIT SJJ ALK BUN BUN VN VN
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