Kejriwal will remain Delhi CM: AAP leader Sandeep Pathak

Chandigarh: AAP leader Sandeep Pathak on Wednesday said Arvind Kejriwal, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate last month, is the Delhi Chief Minister and will continue to hold the post, ruling out that he will resign.

He alleged that part of the conspiracy of BJP was that they would first arrest Kejriwal and say he should resign and then try to break the AAP.

Talking to reporters in Amritsar after holding a meeting with party volunteers, Pathak said, "Kejriwal is CM and will remain the CM, and if need be he will run the government from inside the jail."

To another question, Pathak, who is AAP national general secretary (organisation), said people of Punjab and country are emotional, they do not like any big person dominates another person and commits excesses.

Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 by the ED in connection with an excise policy-linked money laundering case.

"After Kejriwal's arrest, 10-15 per cent vote share (of AAP) increased in Delhi. BJP must be conducting survey, they must be seeing this. Sometimes, over smartness is harmful," the AAP's Punjab affairs co-incharge said, targeting the ruling BJP at the Centre.

"As regards the question that Kejriwal is in jail, how will the party run, to this I want to say that the party will continue to run in the same way as it was being run earlier," he said.

On AAP leaders like Kejriwal, Sanjay Singh and Manish Sisodia being jailed, he said that if honest persons are put in jail, who will join politics then. But everyone has faith in the judiciary, he added.

On Sanjay Singh being granted bail by the Supreme Court in the Delhi excise policy case, he said, 'Everyone is happy that he (Sanjay Singh) has got bail'.

Asked if there can be any reconsideration on I.N.D.I.A. bloc partners Congress and AAP fighting LS polls separately in Punjab, Pathak said this has already been decided and candidates have been announced accordingly.

"The information I have is that in Punjab, the Congress and AAP are fighting separately," he said.

On AAP leader Raghav Chadha, he said he (Chadha) underwent a retina operation (in the UK). 'He is recovering and will return soon,' Pathak said.

To another question, while targeting the BJP, he said, "What is their purpose? It is not to catch any crime. They want to send behind bars those who are running the party (AAP) so that the party breaks".

Asked why AAP leaders were being targeted, Pathak said in many other states which were ruled by BJP's rival parties they have done this.

In Delhi, they (BJP) reached this far because they are more scared of Arvind Kejriwal, he claimed.

He also said the ED had earlier registered cases against nearly 26 to 30 leaders, of which about 24 joined the BJP later and once they did so the cases fell flat. 'This is a joke,' he said, adding the public is with them.

'AAP's main strength is love of people and our volunteers,' he said.

On AAP's lone Lok Sabha member Sushil Kumar Rinku joining the BJP along with Punjab MLA Sheetal Angural, Pathak said, "One or two have left...I do not want to say anything on this, people will give answer to them."