AAP exhorts CM to run government from jail if arrested by ED

New Delhi: In a show of unwavering support, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillors in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) have appealed to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal that if arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), he should continue running the government from jail.

This development comes on the heels of a series of arrests of top AAP leaders, as councillors accuse the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre of hatching a conspiracy to weaken and ultimately dismantle the AAP.

Kejriwal, held a crucial meeting with party councillors to discuss the current situation. AAP’s MCD In-charge and MLA Durgesh Pathak, revealed that during the meeting, all councillors urged Kejriwal not to entertain the idea of resigning if arrested. They maintained that Kejriwal must continue governing from jail, emphasising the need to thwart the alleged conspiracy orchestrated by the BJP.

Pathak stated, “PM Narendra Modi knows that the BJP cannot win against the AAP. We have defeated the BJP in Delhi in the 2013, 2015, 2020 Assembly, and 2022 MCD elections. In Punjab, the AAP achieved a tremendous victory and formed the government. Wherever the AAP is going, it is gradually weakening the BJP.”

The alleged conspiracy, as described by Pathak, revolves around systematically arresting AAP leaders, including Satyendar Jain, Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh, and finally Kejriwal. The BJP’s plan is to have them incarcerated, leading to their resignation and, subsequently, the downfall of the AAP, he claimed.

Pathak further explained, “Today, all councillors of Delhi had a meeting with CM Arvind Kejriwal. In the meeting, all councillors earnestly requested the CM that he should not even consider resigning. If PM Narendra Modi has the courage and arrests you, then you have to run the government from jail. We cannot let their objective succeed.”

CM Kejriwal has assured the councillors that he will deliberate on this matter in consultation with AAP’s organisation in Punjab and across the country. A decision will be made after evaluating public sentiment. To gauge public opinion, the party plans to conduct referendums in Delhi and throughout the country, engaging citizens in a dialogue about whether Kejriwal should resign or continue to govern from jail.