Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is set to surrender at Tihar Jail today, June 2, following the expiration of his 21-day interim bail granted by the Supreme Court. Before heading to the central jail, Kejriwal plans to visit Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial at Rajghat and the Prachin Hanuman temple in Connaught Place.
Kejriwal’s Announcement On X
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Kejriwal expressed gratitude to the Supreme Court for the temporary bail that allowed him to campaign for the Lok Sabha elections. “On orders of the honourable Supreme Court, I came out from prison for election campaign for 21 days. Many thanks to the honourable Supreme Court,” he wrote in Hindi. “Today I will go to Tihar and surrender. I will leave home at 3 p.m. First, I will go to Rajghat and pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi. From there, I will go to Hanuman Temple in Connaught Place to seek blessings of Hanuman ji. And from there, I will go to the party office and meet with workers and party leaders. From there, I will leave for Tihar. All of you take care of yourselves. I will be worried about you. If you are happy then your Kejriwal will also be happy in jail. Jai Hind.”
In a press conference held on May 31, Kejriwal delivered a heartfelt message, underscoring his resolve and the gravity of the situation. “The day after tomorrow, I will leave my house around 3 p.m. to surrender. We are fighting against tyranny, and if I have to sacrifice my life for the country, do not mourn,” Kejriwal stated. He detailed his health struggles, saying, “I was in jail for 50 days, and in those 50 days, I lost 6 kilos… Even after being released, I have not regained my weight.” He added that despite these challenges, he would continue to prioritize the welfare of Delhi’s residents. “Even though I won’t be among you, do not worry. All your work will continue. I may not be with you physically, but your work will not stop.”
Kejriwal also made an emotional plea regarding his elderly parents, urging supporters to pray for their well-being. “My parents are very old… If you pray for my mother daily, she will surely remain healthy,” he said.
Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21 in connection with the alleged Delhi excise policy scam. The probe agency accused him of being part of a conspiracy in which a ₹100-crore bribe was allegedly paid to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) by the South Group, a lobby of liquor dealers who benefited from changes to the 2021-22 excise policy. This policy, aimed at overhauling Delhi’s liquor business, was scrapped after allegations of irregularities and replaced by the previous 2020-21 regime.
After his arrest, Kejriwal was granted interim bail on May 10 for a period of 21 days to campaign for the Lok Sabha elections. As the bail period ended, he sought a seven-day extension citing health concerns, including significant weight loss and high ketone levels. However, the Supreme Court registry refused an urgent listing of his petition, and a special CBI-ED court reserved its order on his application for June 5. The ED opposed his interim bail plea, arguing that Kejriwal had gained weight and accusing him of making misleading claims. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta stated, “Yesterday, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said that he will surrender on June 2, 2024. But he didn’t say he would take a chance here. He is not voluntarily surrendering. We were misled by yesterday’s press conference.”
The AAP has made preparations to ensure that the Delhi government continues to function smoothly during Kejriwal’s imprisonment. Senior party leader Gopal Rai stated, “Things will not change on the ground, he will still be the CM and run the government from jail.” Key responsibilities have been assigned to various leaders, including Sandeep Pathak managing core party functions and Durgesh Pathak overseeing alliance issues and the MCD. Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj will manage the overall government functioning, with each minister continuing to meet the CM in jail to discuss their projects and initiatives.
AAP also plans to file a plea in court to facilitate the process of running the government from jail, requesting facilities for virtual meetings via video conferencing. AAP sources confirmed that Sunita Kejriwal would play a key role in communicating the CM’s directives to the ministers and party leaders, though she is not interested in active politics. “Sunita ji is not interested in active politics, but she will play a key role in the party leadership… she will be meeting the CM frequently so she will bring his messages to the ministers, party and people on a daily basis,” an AAP leader said.
As Delhi braces for Kejriwal’s surrender, the AAP remains steadfast in its commitment to governance and the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections. The party plans to implement the “Mahila Samman Rashi” scheme, providing a ₹1,000 honorarium to eligible women every month, as soon as the Model Code of Conduct is lifted. Despite the challenges ahead, Kejriwal and his party are determined to maintain their vision for Delhi and continue their political journey.
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