Was jailed so BJP could project me as ‘chor’, but even my enemy believes I’m not corrupt: Arvind Kejriwal

PTI, Sep 24, 2024, 4:28 PM IST

Chandigarh: AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday stepped up his attack on the BJP-led Centre, alleging he was arrested as the ruling party wanted to project him as a “chor” (thief) but even his “fiercest enemy” believes he is not corrupt.

The former Delhi chief minister held a roadshow in the Rania assembly constituency in Haryana’s Sirsa in favour of Aam Aadmi Party nominee Harpinder Singh for the October 5 state assembly polls.

Kejriwal resigned as the chief minister of Delhi after being released from the Tihar Jail last week following his bail in the excise policy case by the Supreme Court. AAP leader Atishi later took oath as the chief minister of the national capital.

Addressing a gathering during the roadshow, Kejriwal said he had to spend five-and-a-half months in the jail for no reason.

“What was my fault? My fault is being the chief minister of Delhi for 10 years, I set up good government schools for children of the poor. Earlier, there were power cuts for 7-8 hours in Delhi. But, now there is round-the-clock electricity. My fault is that I made electricity free in Delhi and Punjab,” Kejriwal said.

“My fault is that I started a free ‘tirath yatra’ for elderly people. So many works were carried out in Delhi and Punjab. No corrupt person could do these,” he said.

Kejriwal said his government made electricity free in Delhi which involved a huge amount of money — “Rs 3,000 crore”.

“Had I been a ‘chor’ (thief), I could have put Rs 3,000 crore in my pocket,” he said. “I set up good schools for children of the poor. It involved expenditure. Had I been corrupt, I could have put it in my pocket,” he said.

Attacking the BJP, he said electricity is quite costly in every state the party is in power. “Electricity is not free in Haryana, it is very costly. I want to ask you who is a ‘chor’ — the one who makes electricity free or the one who makes electricity expensive.”

Lashing out at the BJP, Kejriwal said, “Why did they put me in jail? I am honest. Meri imandari pe chot karna chahte hain. (They want to tarnish my image of honesty. They want to say that Kejriwal is a ‘chor’ (thief) as he was jailed for five months.”

But as he walked out of the jail, nobody was ready to accept that he is a ‘chor’, the AAP chief said. “Even my ‘kattar se kattar dushman’ (fiercest enemy) says that Kejriwal can be anything but not corrupt.”

“They tried to break me mentally and physically in jail. They stopped my medicines. I am diabetic. I have been taking insulin for 10 years. They stopped my insulin. I do not know what they wanted to do with me,” he said.

“They wanted to break my resolve. But they do not know that I hail from Haryana. You can break the resolve of any one but not of Haryanawala,” said Kejriwal.

The AAP leader said he came here to seek votes for his party in the October 5 assembly polls.

“I came here to seek votes. It is not for getting power. I came after leaving power. I resigned from the post of Delhi chief minister. In today’s era, nobody leaves even the post of a peon. Nobody sought my resignation,” he said.

The AAP leader said he told the people of Delhi that they should not vote for him if they think he indulged in corruption.

“If you feel that Kejriwal is honest then vote for me. If you give me a certificate of honesty, make me win, then I will sit in the chair of chief minister,” Kejriwal said he told the people of Delhi.

The AAP chief said he does not have hunger for power.

“Your son and brother made Haryana’s name popular in the country and the world. I set up governments in Punjab and Delhi. Give us a chance to serve Haryana. We will build schools and give free electricity in Haryana,” he said.

“You will ask how you will do it. Are you going to form the government? My reply is whatever government is formed, it will not be without us,” he added.

Last week while campaigning in Haryana, Kejriwal had claimed that the next government in Haryana cannot be formed without the support of his party even as he had targeted the BJP, claiming that the entire state wants ‘badlav’ (change) and people will oust the ruling party in the October 5 state assembly polls.