In his first address to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders and workers just days after he was granted bail in the liquor policy case, Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday announced that he would resign as the Delhi Chief Minister, adding that a legislative party meeting is expected to be held within the next two days to decide on his replacement
Kejriwal also demanded that the elections in the national capital, scheduled for February 2025, be held in November this year along with Maharashtra polls. “There are elections in February. I demand that the elections be held along with Maharashtra’s. Until the elections take place, someone else from the Aam Aadmi Party will become the Chief Minister,” he stated.
Kejriwal was released from prison on Friday after being granted bail by the Supreme Court in connection with a corruption case linked to the now-scrapped liquor policy. Kejriwal became the fifth high-profile leader to get bail in the case after AAP leaders Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh, Vijay Nair and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS)'s K Kavitha.
"I am going to resign from the Chief Minister's position after two days. I will not sit in the Chief Minister's chair until the people give their verdict... I will go to every house and street and not sit in the Chief Minister's chair till I get a verdict from the people," he stated.
He revealed that a member of the party would be named Chief Minister, with the decision to be made during a cabinet meeting set to take place in the coming two days. The AAP supremo stated that Manish Sisodia will not be assuming the role of Chief Minister.
"I spoke to Manish, he too has said that he will handle the post only after the people say we are honest. The fate of Sisodia and I is now in your hands", he said.
He stated that earlier he did not resign as Chief Minister despite being arrested because he wanted to save the Constitution. "They have registered cases against (Karnataka Chief Minister) Siddaramaiah, (Kerala Chief Minister) Pinarayi Vijayan, (Bengal Chief Minister) Mamata Banerjee. I want to appeal to non-BJP, do not resign if they register cases against you. This is their new game," he said.
Kejriwal also claimed that the "conspiracies" orchestrated by the central government could not break his "rock-like resolve" and vowed to continue his fight for the nation.
'CENTRE MORE DICTATORIAL THAN BRITISH'
He slammed the Centre, claiming it is more dictatorial than British colonial rule.
Reflecting on the time spent in prison, Kejriwal stated, "I wrote only one letter from prison, and that too to the Lieutenant Governor on the occasion of Independence Day, requesting permission for Atishi to hoist the flag in my absence. The letter was returned, and I was warned that if I wrote another, I wouldn't be allowed to meet my family."
Arvind Kejriwal expressed gratitude to the people of Delhi for their support, mentioning that AAP leaders Satyendar Jain and Amanatullah Khan, who are behind bars, would soon be released.
