Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi’s Chief Minister and AAP leader, was released from Tihar Jail on Friday after being granted bail by the Supreme Court in connection with the Delhi excise policy case. Addressing a crowd of supporters, Kejriwal, who spent over six months in jail, expressed his gratitude and declared that his morale had strengthened significantly after the ordeal. He vowed to continue serving the nation and fighting against divisive forces.
Kejriwal criticized those responsible for his imprisonment, implying political motives without directly naming the BJP. He emphasized that his spirit and commitment to his work have only grown stronger, stating, “My morale and strength have gone up 100 times.”
A crowd of supporters, including prominent AAP leaders like Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, Delhi Minister Atishi, and former deputy CM Manish Sisodia, gathered to welcome him. They shouted slogans in celebration of his release.
Kejriwal had been arrested in March by the Enforcement Directorate and later by the CBI in June, but the Supreme Court granted him bail in both cases. The court, while granting him bail, imposed restrictions, stating that Kejriwal could not return to his office or the Delhi Secretariat without the approval of Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena.
The excise policy case centers around alleged corruption involving private liquor companies and kickbacks to AAP in the implementation of the policy. The Supreme Court, in granting bail, debated the timing and legality of Kejriwal’s arrest by the CBI. Justice Ujjal Bhuyan raised concerns over the delay in the arrest, suggesting it was timed to frustrate the bail granted in the ED case, and called for CBI to avoid being perceived as a “caged parrot.”
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