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‘March 21 is a dividing line for me’: AAP's Somnath Bharti on Arvind Kejriwal's arrest
AAP leader Somnath Bharti in an interview to HT's Kumkum Chadha termed Kejriwal's arrest as the ‘biggest mistake’ of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
The arrest of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21 has charged up the political atmosphere ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. The Aam Aadmi Party has condemned the move, calling the excise policy case in which Kejriwal has been accused, as a political conspiracy by the BJP.
Somnath Bharti, a three-time MLA and now the AAP's candidate from New Delhi, spoke exclusively to Hindustan Times' Kumkum Chadha on several issues including the charges of corruption levelled by investigative agencies against Kejriwal and what impact will the arrest have on Lok Sabha elections.
ALSO READ: Arvind Kejriwal arrested: What we know about liquor policy case and charges against Delhi CM
‘Sitting chief minister picked up like a thief’
On Kejriwal's arrest by the ED on March 21, Bharti said," A three-time sitting chief minister was picked up like a thief and taken away from the back gate of his residence. What is going on? For me, March 21 became a dividing line. Before that, people used to ask questions whenever I went to meet them as to why should we vote for you. Now, when I meet them, they say the arrest of Kejriwal is good enough a proof for people to come together to save democracy."
In this so-called liquor scam, not an iota of money has been recovered. There is no money trail. This arrest is a punishment. Let him be convicted. You try him in a court of law. ED was wanting him to cooperate in the investigation. It had 11 days of custody of Kejriwal," he added.
Training guns at his BJP rival Bansuri Swaraj, he said,"The BJP candidate is the lawyer of ED. What more proof do you need to show that ED and BJP are together. The purpose was not investigation. The purpose was to send Kejriwal behind bars so that he is not available during elections."
Somnath Bharti lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that the latter gets angry on seeing the face of Kejriwal. “Kejriwal's arrest is the beginning of the end of Mr. Modi in this country,” the AAP leader said.
How will Kejriwal's arrest impact the Lok Sabha elections?
Somnath Bharti dubbed Kejriwal's arrest as the biggest mistake of the BJP. “The BJP arrested a man who solved the problems of the citizens. He is the first person to provide 200 units of free electricity, free water, free transport for women in this country. There is a state of panic due to the arrest of a person of this stature,” he said.
“The BJP is taking such steps due to dejection and fear of losing elections. This country is of Bhagat Singh, Babasaheb Ambedkar. India will not allow the end of constitution,” Bharti said in the interview.
“The BJP will pay for its mistake of arresting Arvind Kejriwal,” he added.
