New Delhi: After Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Sunday that he would quit after two days, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) questioned what was the mystery behind the AAP leader’s decision to resign after 48 hours and why not today.
“This 48-hour time which he (Arvind Kejriwal) has sought is mired in mystery that for which he is trying to find a replacement or trying to do some placements,” BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi said at a press meet.
He added that if Kejriwal’s intentions and words were honest, then he should call a Cabinet meeting, quit as CM and recommend the Assembly’s dissolution.”
“Why are you (Arvind Kejriwal) talking about quitting after coming out (of Tihar Jail) and what is this issue after 48 hours? The people of the country and Delhi want to know what is the secret of 48 hours, what all is to be settled in 48 hours?” he asked.
BJP’s Harish Khurana also questioned the decision of Kejriwal to quit after two days. “Why after 48 hours? Why not today? He should resign today. He has done this before too. Delhi residents are asking that he can’t go to the secretariat, can’t sign papers? So, what’s point?” Khurana added that if early elections are conducted, the BJP will come back to power in Delhi after 25 years.
Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva posed a question to Kejriwal: Why was the excise policy introduced by AAP government in 2021 withdrawn a year later. “I have a question for Arvind Kejriwal – if you are not involved in the liquor policy scam, then why was the policy withdrawn?” he asked.
‘Turning compulsion into achievement’
BJP leader Shahzad Poonawala pointed out, “If anyone wants to learn how to turn compulsion into achievement, learn from Arvind Kejriwal… If it had been any other person, if it would have been Arvind Kejriwal of 2011-12, he would have resigned before going to jail or would have resigned after going to jail…He can only sit in the Sheesh Mahal after doing ceremonial acts.”
“Today only one thing is clear that two days’ time is being taken so that Sunita Kejriwal can be made the Chief Minister… Arvind Kejriwal is going to create a Manmohan Singh-like system. Just like Sonia Gandhi used to run the government with Manmohan Singh’s face… This is being done so that the public’s anger against him (Arvind Kejriwal) can be reduced… If he had to resign, he would have done it after going to jail for the first time. These are acts of calling compulsion as achievement.”
Why resignation after 48 hours, AAP explains
Explaining the reason behind Kejriwal’s decision to resign after two days, AAP leader Aatishi said that today is Sunday; tomorrow is a holiday, so the office will open only on Tuesday.
“BJP is very upset ever since they tried to break the leaders. They sent agencies. Arrested the leaders but no one broke. Whereas other parties get scared. It is only Aam Aadmi Party that can look BJP in the eye and speak up,” she said.
She said, “Arvind Kejriwal is the leader who goes among the public and says that vote for me only if I am honest. To understand his declaration, one has to understand Arvind Kejriwal. Arvind Kejriwal was a commissioner in the income tax department. If he wanted to earn money, he would have earned it there. But he left his job and worked in slums. He left the post of Chief Minister.”
She pointed out that Arvind Kejriwal thought that if there is any doubt in the mind of any person, he should resign. The Supreme Court also stamped the honesty of Arvind Kejriwal. “The words of the Supreme Court alone are not enough for Arvind Kejriwal. He will not become the Chief Minister until the people of Delhi put a stamp on his honesty.”
Aatishi added that there was no need to dissolve the assembly to hold elections in Delhi. The Election Commission can hold elections if there is less than 6 months left, she said.
AAP’s Saurabh Bhardwaj said Arvind Kejriwal is the only Chief Minister who is saying that after leaving the post, he will go among the people and give a litmus test. “The party was thrown out of the office. The leaders were put in jail, the party has no money, in such a situation Arvind Kejriwal goes among the people. Arvind Kejriwal will sit on the chair only after going among the people.”
He added that BJP was throwing mud on Arvind Kejriwal and Aam Aadmi Party leaders that they have done corruption worth crores. “Even after two years, ED, CBI have not done anything while starting the trial. While granting bail to Arvind Kejriwal, Supreme Court said that CBI is acting like a parrot locked in a cage.” “So, Arvind Kejriwal ji said that the biggest court of the country has given me relief but I will go among the public and give Agni Pariksha (fire test) and only then will I sit on the chair.”
Earlier, addressing AAP workers on Sunday, Kejriwal declared his decision to step down as Delhi chief minister. “I am going to resign from the CM position after two days. I will not sit on the CM seat until the people give their verdict. I got justice from the legal court, now I will get justice from the people’s court.” He also demanded that the elections in Delhi, which are scheduled for February, be held in November with the Maharashtra elections.
