Delhi Ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj with AAP workers stage a protest at ITO against the arrest of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in the scrapped Delhi excise policy 2021-22, in New Delhi, Friday, March 22, 2024.
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: The names of Delhi ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj are being cited in connection with the alleged excise policy scam as the BJP thinks jailing only chief minister Arvind Kejriwal will not be enough to finish the AAP, an AAP leader said.
In a press conference on Monday, AAP leader Jasmine Shah asserted that Kejriwal will remain the chief minister no matter how long he is kept in jail because he has taken a constitutional oath to serve the people of Delhi.
"There is no trial yet, let alone conviction. It's his (Kejriwal's) constitutional right and duty because the chief minister is under the constitutional oath to serve the people of Delhi. Kejriwal will keep on being the Delhi chief minister no matter how long they keep him in jail," he asserted.
The Delhi chief minister, arrested on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering case linked to now scrapped excise policy of his government, was earlier on the day sent to judicial custody till April 15 by a city court.
"The names of our two senior leaders who are ministers in Delhi government -- Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj -- have figured because the BJP has realised that the AAP will not shut down by sending Kejriwal alone to jail and preparations for other leaders need to done," Jasmine Shah claimed.
When Vijay Nair was arrested one-and-a-half years ago, he had said that he did not report to the chief minister and that he reported to Atishi and Bharadwaj.
"After 1.5 years, why is the ED raising this thing when it already has a written statement?" he said.
In its remand application before the court, the ED said during Kejriwal's custodial interrogation, he gave “evasive replies” and concealed information.
"He (Kejriwal) stated that Vijay Nair did not report to him but to Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj and his interaction with Nair was limited," the agency said in its plea.
Jasmine Shah alleged that everyday since Kejriwal's ED custody, one or the other senior BJP leader has demanded his resignation, threatening imposition of the president's rule.
The BJP is 'baffled' with the support for Kejriwal among the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A.) bloc leaders and which was on display during the Ramlila Maidan rally on Sunday, he said.