Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal claimed that the arrest of his aide Bibhav Kumar was part of the BJP’s ‘Operation Jhadoo’ aimed at “crushing” AAP….reports Asian Lite News
The confrontation between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) intensified on Sunday following the alleged assault on Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal claimed that the arrest of his aide Bibhav Kumar was part of the BJP’s ‘Operation Jhadoo’ aimed at “crushing” AAP by jailing its leaders, freezing its accounts, and evicting it from office.
Kejriwal led a protest march towards the BJP headquarters at Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg, but heavy police barricades halted the protesters about 50 meters from the office. Despite the obstacles, AAP maintained that they “waited for half an hour on the road for the police to come and arrest us, but the BJP accepted its defeat”.
Following Kumar’s arrest on Saturday, Kejriwal announced that AAP leaders would march to the BJP headquarters to challenge the Prime Minister’s intentions. The BJP ridiculed Kejriwal, suggesting his protest was ineffective and lacked support. They criticized him for not protesting similarly for his jailed colleagues Manish Sisodia and Satyender Jain, accusing him of defending his PA who allegedly assaulted Maliwal.
Shehzad Poonawalla, BJP’s national spokesperson, urged Kejriwal to address the assault allegations rather than engaging in theatrics. Maliwal also criticized AAP leaders, pointing out their previous advocacy for justice in the Nirbhaya case compared to their current support for her alleged assailant.
The Delhi Police seized electronic devices, including a CCTV DVR, from Kejriwal’s residence as part of their investigation into the alleged assault on Maliwal on May 13. AAP accused the police of planting stories about deleted CCTV footage, asserting that the footage had already been seized.
Maliwal accused Kumar of assaulting her at the Chief Minister’s residence. AAP refuted these allegations, claiming Maliwal was cooperating with the BJP to frame Kejriwal falsely. Addressing party workers, Kejriwal warned of greater challenges ahead, alleging that the Prime Minister aimed to destroy AAP through ‘Operation Jhadoo’. He claimed the BJP viewed AAP as a significant threat and was targeting its top leaders.
Kejriwal also suggested that AAP’s bank accounts would be frozen and that the party would be forced to vacate its office, accusing the BJP of fabricating cases against AAP leaders. The BJP responded by calling on Kejriwal to address the Maliwal incident directly. Poonawalla questioned Kejriwal’s involvement in the alleged assault and the missing CCTV footage.
BJP MP Manoj Tiwari accused Kejriwal of protesting to protect Kumar, questioning why Kejriwal was silent on Maliwal’s allegations and instead supporting Kumar. Tiwari highlighted Maliwal’s injuries and asserted that the BJP could not remain silent on violence against women.
Kumar, arrested on Saturday, was remanded to five days of police custody for further investigation. The police collected electronic devices from Kejriwal’s residence to obtain footage of the alleged assault. AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj dismissed claims that CCTV footage was deleted, arguing that the police were creating stories to damage AAP’s image ahead of the elections.
In a post on X, Maliwal expressed regret that jailed AAP leader Manish Sisodia was not present to support her, reflecting on the party’s past efforts for justice compared to the current situation. She lamented that AAP, once united in seeking justice for Nirbhaya, was now defending an accused within their ranks.
‘We had made the PM, not a police officer’
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that all AAP leaders were put in jail, adding, “Humne Pradhanmantri banaya tha, Thanedaar thodi lekar aaye the.”
Delhi CM addressed a rally in support of South Delhi Lok Sabha Seat candidate Sahiram Pahalwan today.
Kejriwal said that if people press the lotus button, he will have to go to jail again. But if they press the broom button, he will remain among them.
“They are after us. All the party leaders were put in jail. Yesterday, my PA was put in jail. And now they are saying that Atishi and Saurabh Bhardwaj will also be put in jail. Is this how the country runs? Humne Pradhan Mantri banaya tha, Thanedaar thodi lekar aaye the (We had made the Prime Minister, not a police officer),” he said.
“I ask for votes based on my work. After being in power for ten years, all you (PM Modi) are saying is ‘bhatakti aatma’, ‘nakli santaan’, and ‘mangal sutra’. What is all this?” he added.
Further, CM Kejriwal emphasised that on June 4, the Modi government will not come back.
“They also know this and that is why they are in shock. INDIA bloc government will be formed and Delhi will be given the status of full state. We have improved the electricity, water and health sectors in Delhi. When Delhi gets full statehood, law and order will also be improved. After June 4, Delhi’s LG will work for people. There will be a big change,” Kejriwal said.
The Delhi CM also alleged that his medicines were stopped when he was in Tihar jail.
“I gave free medicines for the whole of Delhi but when I went to Tihar, they stopped my medicines for 15 days. I have been a diabetic patient for 20 years. I have been taking insulin injections for 10 years. My injections were also stopped in Tihar. I kept pleading in front of them that give me an injection. But as soon as the public and media raised their voice, they started giving me the injection,” he added.
Earlier yesterday, exuding confidence in winning the Lok Sabha polls in the national capital, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that the Bharatiya Janata Party knows that on June 4, their government will not be formed.
Addressing the rally, he said, “Jail Ka Jawab Vote Se’, 25 May, BJP gayi. They (BJP) are after us, putting all the leaders of our party in jail. What is this? If you can’t win in Delhi, will you put everyone behind bars? I seek a vote based on the development work that our party has done. They know that on June 4, their government will not be formed. They also know that they will get fewer seats than 200.”
AAP’s Sahiram Pehelwan is in the electoral fray against BJP’s Ramvir Singh Bidhuri. (ANI)
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