Former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal slams BJP over excise policy case arrest

File Pic/PTI

Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal condemned the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) government over his arrest by the Directorate of Enforcement in the ongoing investigation into excise policy case, ANI reported.

Kejriwal, speaking to ANI reporters said, "I asked them (BJP), what did they gain from arresting me? The answer they gave, surprised me. They told me that the Delhi government had been derailed and all the work had stopped. Listening to that answer, I was very upset and shocked. I asked, Was the reason for my arrest just to shut down the Delhi government? Was it to derail the government? Was it to increase the hardships for the public of Delhi?"

AAP to get to work

Kejriwal, along with the newly posted Delhi Chief Minister Atishi and AAP leader Manish Sisodia, reviewed the condition of roads near the Delhi University earlier in the day, ANI reported.

Speaking after the inspection, Kejriwal guaranteed that all the issues in the national capital will be addressed and fixed soon.

"I want to tell the public that I am here, and the works will start again, and all the problems will be addressed and fixed. We are standing on DU's road now. As you can see, there was work on putting a pipeline here, and because of that, the road has been destroyed. This road is used a lot. I talked to CM Atishi, and this will be fixed," he said to ANI.

He further criticised the central government and alleged that the BJP's agenda was to defame AAP.

"As I said before, their whole agenda was to shut down the government and to defame AAP, but we won't let the work for the public of Delhi stop," he said.

Speaking on occasion, AAP leader Dilip Pandey said, "The people of Delhi have understood that the BJP tried to stop the work in Delhi by arresting various AAP leaders. Arvind Kejriwal did not stop ever, even in jail he was in action mode, and outside he was working. We are here at DU's road, thousands of people use this road, students and professors all use this road, and they can breathe a sigh of relief. This laying of the pipeline is the work of the Delhi government. Both the CM and Arvind Kejriwal, who inspected the road, assured the people that the work would be done."

According to ANI, Pandey claimed that the BJP wanted to break AAP and stop all the work the Kejriwal government has started, but that the BJP had failed on both accounts, as the party has renewed conviction to finish the public works.

"BJP just wanted to break the party, and whatever benefits people are getting from the schemes of Arvind Kejriwal, they wanted to stop that too, but they were unsuccessful in both those things. Before Kejriwal ji was in prison, we used to get orders from there, we did work then too. Now we have a renewed conviction, so our work will be sped up too," Pandey said to ANI.

(With inputs from ANI)