New Delhi:
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was released from Tihar jail, 50 days after he was arrested in the liquor policy case. He has said that he has fought against the dictatorship with all his might and urged all Indians to join him in the struggle, stating that it would not be successful. until they do.
Addressing a large crowd of AAP supporters immediately after his release on Friday, the AAP chief thanked Lord Hanuman and the Supreme Court judges who granted him bail. He also laid out his plans for the first half of Saturday and said he will visit a Hanuman temple in New Delhi's Connaught Place at 11 am and there will be a press conference at the AAP office at 1 pm.
'Didn't I say I'd be back soon? Here I am. I would first like to thank Lord Hanuman, because of whose blessings I am among you today. I want to thank all of you, the millions of people across the country. who have sent me their wishes and their blessings. I would also like to thank the judges of the Supreme Court. We must work together to save the country from dictatorship. I have fought against the dictatorship with all my might, but 140 crore Indians have to fight too,” he said in Hindi.
“I am going to Hanuman Temple in Connaught Place tomorrow at 11am to seek the Lord's blessings. I urge all of you to join me. There will be a press conference at the party office at 1 pm,” the AAP chief added.
Mr Kejriwal, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21, had earlier on Friday been granted interim bail by the Supreme Court for campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections. Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta asked him to surrender on June 2, a day after the final phase of elections.
Three phases of the Lok Sabha elections have already concluded, but all seven seats in Delhi will vote in the sixth phase on May 25.
While granting him bail, the bench said that Mr Kejriwal is an elected Chief Minister and does not pose any threat to the society.
“Arvind Kejriwal is the Chief Minister of Delhi and a leader of one of the national parties. No doubt serious accusations have been made, but he has not been convicted. He has no criminal record. He does not pose a threat to society,” the court said.
The AAP chief's release is a boost not only for his party but also for the INDIA alliance. Sources said he will travel around the country to campaign for the opposition bloc.