News Mania Desk/ Sohom Chatterjee / 15th September 2024
After being released from Tihar jail on Friday evening, the CM of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal publicly announced that he will resign from his position of CM in the next two days and will not take up the chair until the public of Delhi declares him as “honest” via polls. He claimed that the certificate of honesty for him will be if the public re-elects him. Kejriwal would even ask for early polls along with the state of Maharashtra.
The AAP Convener was jailed on the verdict of Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court regarding the alleged Delhi Excise Policy Scam. But he was released from Tihar Jail by the verdict of the Supreme Court.
On Saturday, he held a meeting with the senior party leaders and on Sunday morning September 15, Kejriwal arrived at the party office in Delhi for the first time after his jail release.
While addressing the party workers at the AAP office, the Delhi CM said, “I am going to resign from the CM position after two days. I will not sit on the CM chair until the people give their verdict. I will go to every house and street and not sit on the CM chair till I get a verdict from the people. I will not sit on the CM post until the public announces its decision. Elections are after a few months. If you think Kejriwal is honest, then vote for me, I will take over as CM after the elections. If you think I am not, don’t vote. Your vote will be a certificate for my honesty, then only I will sit on the post of CM.”
“The elections are supposed to be held in February. I demand elections be held in November with Maharashtra elections… Till elections are held, someone else from the party will be the Chief Minister. In the next 2-3 days, a meeting of the MLAs will be held, where the next CM will be decided.”
Kejriwal also accused the BJP-led central government of filing cases against the CMs of the states where they have lost elections. He stated, “People ask why Kejriwal did not resign from jail. He did not resign because I wanted to save democracy… They have a new formula now; they file cases against the CM of opposition parties in the states where they lost elections. They have filed cases against Siddaramaiah, and Pinarayi Vijayan… The Supreme Court has asked why the government cannot be run from jail… I appeal to all non-BJP CMs that if there is a case against you, do not resign. If the people of Delhi feel that Kejriwal is dishonest, then I will not remain on the CM post even for a minute. My bank account is empty today…I told the lawyers that I do not want to take the CM post until the case is over. The lawyers said that this will last for more than ten years. Now I am in your court. I ask you whether Kejriwal is honest or dishonest. I will not sit on the CM post until the public announces its decision.”
BJP has been quick to flag this announcement by Arvind Kejriwal as a “PR stunt”.
