ARVIND KEJRIWAL'S SAGA OF LIES AND CONTROVERSIES
Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi and the face of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), has found himself embroiled in a series of legal troubles and controversies that have cast shadows over his political career. From corruption allegations to defamation cases, Kejriwal’s journey in the political arena has been riddled with accusations and contradictions.
After evading eight summonses issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case, Arvind Kejriwal was arrested late on Thursday night 21. March 2024. Kejriwal and his party have been accused of accepting bribes worth over €100 million from liquor companies. He has joined in jail two of his party members and former Ministers ; Satyendar Jain and Manish Sisodia. Despite his arrest, Kejriwal maintains his position as Chief Minister of Delhi, saying he will not resign and will fight the charges in court. Kejriwal was allegedly also spying on Enforcement Directorate officials, as indicated by a document recovered during his Thursday night arrest, according to probe agency sources. The document, spanning approximately 150 pages, contained crucial information about the top two officers in the Enforcement Directorate, the sources said.
The allegations against Kejriwal and AAP do not stop there. According to the ED, K Kavitha,a Member of Telangana Legislative Council conspired with top AAP leaders, including Arvind Kejriwal and jailed AAP leader Manish Sisodia to get favours in the excise policy case by paying Rs 100 crore to AAP.
Conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar said that after Kavitha’s arrest, others involved in the scam, naming Kejriwal, will be exposed. “All your corrupt associates, including the king of corruption, my dearest Arvind Kejriwal, are going to be exposed to another level. Thousands of crores that you and your party have looted and stacked in Singapore, Hong Kong and Germany will all be out in the open.”
This is not the first time Kejriwal has found himself in legal hot water. The Gujarat Police has issued a notice to him for illegal poster pasting during the Gujarat polls, adding to the list of legal troubles he faces. Furthermore, Kejriwal has been fined by a Gujarat court in a defamation case related to questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s education qualifications. Moreover, Kejriwal’s track record is tainted with inconsistencies and broken promises. He initially denied receiving funds from the Ford Foundation, only to later admit to it before retracting his statement once again. His promises of transparency in ticket distribution have been marred by allegations of favoritism and corruption within the AAP. Similarly, his pledge to eschew government residences contradicted his own actions when he requested allotment of two bungalows upon becoming Delhi’s Chief Minister.
Kejriwal’s propensity for making unsubstantiated claims has also come under scrutiny. Accusations against political opponents, such as Nitin Gadkari and Sharad Pawar, have been debunked, raising questions about Kejriwal’s credibility. Furthermore, his promise of providing 700 liters of water to Delhiites has been criticized for its hidden terms and conditions, betraying the trust of those who believed in his assurances.
Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun has accused Khalistani groups of giving around Rs 133.54 crore to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) between 2014 and 2022. Pannun also alleges that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal offered to help release Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar in exchange for money. Bhullar is a convict in the 1993 Delhi bomb blast case, which killed nine people and injured 31. The repeated instances of legal troubles, contradictions, and unfulfilled promises paint a picture of a leader entangled in a web of deceit and manipulation. He came to power to root out corruption in the Delhi government, which was controlled by the Congress party. In the end, he became India’s most corrupt CM.