The AAP’s allegations come as the Congress and the AAP have reached the final stages of reaching seat sharing agreement in states including Delhi, Gujarat and Goa and is expected to make an announcement soon.
New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Union government is planning to arrest Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal through the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) if the party proceeds with its alliance with the Congress for the Lok Sabha elections.
Addressing a press conference in New Delhi today, February 23, Delhi minister and AAP MLA Atishi said that the party has learnt from “reliable sources” that the CBI is planning to arrest Kejriwal.
“We are all seeing for the last two to two-and-half months that Arvind Kejriwal has received summons from the ED (Enforcement Directorate) seven times. But now the BJP-led centre has understood that it will not be able to arrest Kejriwal through the ED. So now the BJP-led centre is bringing the CBI and planning to arrest Kejriwal through it,” she said.
This is the second press address by AAP leaders in the last two days in which the party has claimed that it has been informed that if it ties up with the Congress, Kejriwal will be arrested in the Delhi excise policy case.
Atishi’s press conferences
On February 22 too, Atishi addressed a press conference in which she had also said that if seat sharing arrangements proceed with the Congress then Kejriwal will be arrested by both the CBI and the ED. At today’s press conference, Atishi was joined by AAP MP Sandeep Pathak and AAP MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj where they reiterated that they have learnt of the BJP government’s plans to arrest Kejriwal from “reliable sources.”
“We have learnt from reliable sources that a CBI notice under section 41(A) under CRPC will come either today or on Monday. And after this notice, Kejriwal will be arrested by the CBI. And once he is arrested by the CBI, just like Manish Sisodia and Vijay Nair, ED will also arrest him. We are constantly being given the message that don’t make an alliance with the Congress, don’t do seat sharing with them, move away from the INDIA alliance and if not then Kejriwal will be arrested by the CBI in the coming days,” said Atishi.
“But I want to tell the BJP that you can send as many notices, as many summons, arrest all AAP leaders, hang us but we will not be scared of your threats. We have been fighting for democracy and the Constitution and we will continue to do so.”
The AAP’s allegations come as the Congress and the AAP have reached the final stages of reaching seat sharing agreement across states including Delhi, Gujarat and Goa.
The final shape to seat sharing arrangements come only weeks after the AAP throwing the gauntlet earlier this month and offering only one seat to the Congress in the capital while saying it does not “deserve a single seat on merit”. While the national leadership of the Congress admitted to a delay in seat sharing talks, its Delhi unit said that it is “energised” to fight on all seven seats in the national capital.
Talks in final stage
Pathak said today that the announcement on the alliance with the grand old party relating to all states will be done together and the talks are at “final stage”.
“I am hopeful that the announcement will be done very soon,” he said.
Pathak added that if Kejriwal is arrested there will be a “tsunami” in the country as people will take to the streets.
“There will be a tsunami in the country and all well meaning people will take to the roads and all their political calculations which they think will work if Kejriwal is arrested will be fall flat. I want to tell their political pundits, you are not dealing with any political party but are now trying to take on AAP. They are saying leave the alliance or we will arrest Kejriwal. We are not afraid of arrests, if we were then so many of our leaders wouldn’t have been in jail. We will not be scared. We are in the alliance not for our personal profit but for the country,” he said.
Bharadwaj said that the haste with which the BJP is trying to use central agencies to arrest Kejriwal shows its “nervousness” ahead of the elections despite claims from top BJP leaders including prime minister Narendra Modi that the saffron party will cross 400 seats in the polls.
“BJP’s nervousness is showing. So they have decided to forget ED, and tell the CBI to quickly arrest Kejriwal,” said Bharadwaj.
“They (BJP) think that if the Congress and AAP come together, then the BJP’s difficulties will increase in those states where our alliance is there. They are making big statements of crossing 400 seats. The person who is promising to cross 400 seats won’t send CBI to an elderly former governor. These are not signs of ‘400 par‘. Ask any political scientist. One who is crossing 400 seats shows signs of love, not of fear and loss. We want to tell the centre and the BJP that you can arrest Kejriwal if you want, but Kejriwal and Congress alliance within the INDIA alliance is ready to be formed and will not stop.
This Article Was First Published by The Wire On February’ 23rd, 2024
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