'No guarantee how long...': Smriti Irani's 'jail' jibe at Arvind Kejriwal

Senior AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh are in jail over money laundering allegations linked to the Delhi liquor policy case.

Published on: Dec 17, 2023, 21:50:53 IST

By HT News Desk

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New Delhi: Union minister and BJP leader Smriti Irani on Sunday took a sharp jibe at Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal saying he sent half of his Cabinet to jail. She made the remark at a public meeting in the national capital in the presence of party colleague Manoj Tiwari.

"I know you (BJP leader Manoj Tiwari) and the district president have no expectations from the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government. The person who has already sent half of his cabinet to jail, there is no guarantee on how long he (Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal) will stay out," Smriti Irani was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Senior AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh are in jail over money laundering allegations linked to the Delhi liquor policy case.

Last year, Delhi L-G VK Saxena had ordered a probe into the new Delhi liquor policy alleging corruption. Following the complaint, the AAP government withdrew the policy.

In November, Kejriwal was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate for questioning over the case. He, however, refused to appear before the agency saying the summons were illegal and politically motivated.

Also read: Menstruation not handicap, no need for ‘paid leave’ policy: Minister Smriti Irani

Kejriwal and his associates have said on many occasions that he will be arrested.

This month, AAP ran a campaign asking the people of Delhi if Kejriwal should step down from the post of chief minister if he is arrested or run the government from jail.

AAP is planning to contest the 2024 general elections on the plank of alleged witch hunt by the BJP against Kejriwal and other leaders.

Also read: After Mamata Banerjee, Arvind Kejriwal accuses Centre of withholding funds

"This witch hunt by the BJP government at the Centre to weaken the AAP by creating hurdles in the Delhi government's functioning and framing party leaders, including Kejriwal, in fake cases and sending them behind bars will be a major poll plank during campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections," AAP leader Gopal Rai said earlier this month.

The BJP won all seven Lok Sabha seats in 2019. However, since then, the AAP has scored landslide victories in the assembly elections and Delhi municipal polls. It also won the assembly elections in Punjab.

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