Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday became one of the first Opposition politicians to come out in support of senior MP Kapil Sibal's non-electoral political platform 'Insaaf' to fight the injustice “prevailing” under Modi government and bring Opposition parties on a single platform.
Kejriwal tweeted his support in response to Sibal's post, "This is a very important initiative of Kapil Sibal Sahib. I appeal to everyone to join this and we will fight injustice together."
The Delhi Chief Minister’s relationship with Sibal has come full circle as he had in the run-up to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections described the senior lawyer, then a Minister in the UPA government, “one of India’s most corrupt”. Sibal had then challenged Kejriwal to prove his allegation.
Interestingly, Kejriwal last year suggested Sibal as Opposition’s joint candidate for Presidential polls but other Opposition parties were not enthused with the senior lawyer’s prospects.
Sibal, who left Congress last year after publicly asking the Gandhi family to step aside from party leadership, had on Saturday launched his platform and a website to fight "injustice" prevailing in the country under the BJP-led government with an open invite to all, including Opposition leaders, to join him in the struggle for preserving Constitutional values.
He also said he wanted Congress also to join the initiative while making it clear he was not forming a party but initiating a people's movement.
The former Congress leader, who later won a Rajya Sabha seat as an independent with the support of the Samajwadi Party, had also got the support of Shiv Sena (Thackeray) head Uddhav Thackeray's support with the latter saying that Sibal's platform is very important to save democracy and judiciary and all those who have faith in democracy should support him.
CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav also announced their support for Sibal's initiative.
"All patriots must unite in the fight against injustice. Insaaf is the promise of our Constitution for all Indians, irrespective of class, caste, creed, faith, language, region or gender. We must struggle to make it a reality," Yechury tweeted.
Baghel tweeted, "What can be better than when everyone unites against injustice. This is also the root of Bharat Jodo Yatra. We all welcome this initiative."
Yadav tweeted, "We are in solidarity with your ideas, Kapil Sibal-ji. I agree lawyers have an important role and along with citizens of India they must unite to save the unity and integrity of this great country."