Arvind Kejriwal gets bail: SC has shown mirror to Delhi CM, says BJP; Congress, RJD welcome decision

File pic/PTI

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday said Delhi Chief Minister (CM) Arvind Kejriwal should immediately resign from his post as the Supreme Court (SC) has granted him only conditional bail and that he continues to be an accused in the corruption case linked to the excise policy 'scam'.

On Friday, the apex court granted bail to Kejriwal in the case lodged by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and said that prolonged incarceration amounts to unjust deprivation of liberty, reported news agency PTI.

Following the court's order, BJP held a press conference at the party headquarters in New Delhi. "The Supreme Court has shown a mirror to 'kattar beimaan' (outright dishonest) Arvind Kejriwal while granting bail to him. He should immediately resign after this," said party's national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia during the press conference. He added that Kejriwal continues to be an accused in the case as the court has granted him conditional bail.

"Neither have the charges against him been quashed nor has he been acquitted. Accused of corruption, Arvind Kejriwal has become a chief minister on bail from a chief minister in jail. What influence, reputation and stature is left of this corrupt chief minister who will have to report to the investigation officer of the case every Monday and Thursday," Bhatia questioned.

He also said that the people of Delhi deserved "a better chief minister".

"We demand that he immediately resign as the chief minister, else a time will come when people will demand his resignation," Bhatia said.

Bail doesn't mean acquital: BJP

"Morality can not be expected from Kejriwal. He has applied Fevicol (an adhesive) on the chief minister's chair and is sitting on it. He is the same person who used to say that one should resign first when facing allegations," Bhatia said.

But people are powerful, he cautioned, the BJP spokesperson said, and referred to the case of West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee.

"West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee bowed down and offered to resign. This corrupt Arvind Kejriwal will also have to bow down," said Bhatia.

On former deputy CM Manish Sisodia hailing Kejriwal's bail as a "victory of truth", the BJP leader said, "When the kingpin of the liquor scam is out on bail, what else will the 'queen-pin' say?"

Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva said that the court had termed the arrest legal.

"Bail has been granted to Arvind Kejriwal today. I would like to say that AAP has become 'jamanati club'. Supreme Court has made very serious observations: it said that Arvind Kejriwal's arrest was legal and if it was legal then the court is satisfied with the facts and evidence into the excise policy scam that were presented by investigation agencies before the court. Bail does not mean acquittal, it is a court procedure and everyone gets bail - the biggest example being Lalu Yadav. Arvind Kejriwal is not an exception. Things are before the court, I think the day he is convicted, Kejriwal and his aides will be punished. If he has any morality left, we urge him to resign immediately," said Sachdeva.

'Cases against opposition leaders fake, hatched in BJP office'

Meanwhile, Congress' Mumbai head Varsha Gaikwad has welcomed the bail granted to the Delhi CM. She said, "We welcome a judicial process. He has been granted bail after 156 days. When he had come to Mumbai on bail, he had described the manner in which he was being mistreated; he was not been given medicines. But the way he is fighting, he is setting an example."

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) lawmaker Manoj Jha also lauded the SC decision and said that all such cases against the opposition leaders are fake and fictitious and that BJP hatches such conspiracies in its Delhi office.

"This had to happen. This will happen in every case because all cases were fake, fictitious, and hatched in the Delhi BJP office. Power keeps transferring. Listen to High Court observation in the case of Hemant Soren, read it, and read about today's case. It is a slap to not just on ED (Enforcement Directorate), I-T (Income Tax), and CBI but also to those who plot this," said Jha.

Further slamming the BJP over misuse of central agencies, the RJD Member of Parliament (MP) said, "So, a clear message has been sent across. Be careful, tomorrow, when you won't be in power, these agencies will knock at your doors as well. We will feel bad at that time too because there should be no place for vendetta in politics. But today's decision is welcome. Congratulations to AAP (Aam Aadmi Party) and its legal team."

Kejriwal was arrested by ED on March 21 in connection with a money laundering probe relating to the alleged irregularities in the now-cancelled Delhi excise policy 2021-22. On June 26, Kejriwal was arrested by CBI in the excise case while he was in ED's custody.

(With PTI and ANI inputs)