The division bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan upheld the bail granted by the special court, while pronouncing its judgement in Arvind Kejriwal v. Central Bureau of Investigation, [SLP (Crl) No. 11023/2024], had heard the matter and reserved verdict on September 5.

Both the judge’s pronounced separate judgements while affirming bail to Delhi CM unanimously. Notably, Justice Bhuyan went one step further and unjustified the CBI arrest and he also observed that the arrest was only meant to frustrate the grant of bail in the ED case against him (Kejriwal).  He added that he is in complete agreement with the conclusion and direction stated by Justice Surya Kant that the appellant should be released on bail but on the necessity and timing of the arrest, he stressed that “I have a definite point of view”.

The Supreme Court’s division bench pronounced its verdict against Kejriwal’s challenge to the Delhi High Court order of August 5, whereby his petition challenging the CBI arrest on June 26, 2024 and seeking bail were dismissed with liberty to approach the trial court for bail.

Brief background and a time-line:

In the ED case, it is alleged that Arvind Kejriwal is the main conspirator of the Delhi excise scam and is directly involved in the use of corruption money of over Rs. 100 crores. The ED’s case claims that the excise policy was implemented as part of a conspiracy to give wholesale business profit of 12% to certain private companies, although such a stipulation was not mentioned in the minutes of the meetings of the Group of Ministers (GoM). 

He became the first sitting Chief Minister to be arrested while in office. His arrest came after months of non-compliance with nine summonses from the ED, which he had labelled “illegal.”

AAP Chief & Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21, 2024, in connection with a money laundering case and his alleged indulgence in Delhi Excise Policy Scam 2021-22. 

Later, on May 10, the Supreme Court granted Kejriwal interim bail until June 1, in the money laundering case, and highlighted that Kejriwal, as Chief Minister and leader of a national party, posed no threat to society and had no criminal background.

On June 2, Kejriwal surrendered at Tihar Jail as Supreme Court Registry on May 29, refused to list Delhi CM’s plea for extension of interim bail.

On June 20, 2024, Delhi’s Judge Nyay Bindu of Rouse Avenue Court granted bail to CM Kejriwal in the money laundering case.

In a dramatic shift in CM Kejriwal’s bail, on June 21, the Delhi High Court stayed the order granting bail to Kejriwal in the money laundering case connected to the liquor policy case. The High Court stayed the operation of the bail order till the final order is passed on the stay application filed by the ED.

On June 25, the Delhi High Court finally stayed the trial court’s order granting bail to CM Kejriwal. Justice Sudhir Jain while staying the bail, observed that trial court didn’t properly appreciate ED’s case & materials. He opined that the vacation judge failed to discuss the requirement of section 45 of PMLA while passing the bail order.

On June 26, 2024, in a significant move, the AAP chief was formally arrested by the CBI while he was in custody of the ED in the excise case. The CBI was investigating this case on corruption and bribery involvement. Delhi Court on same day, remands CM Kejriwal for 3 days CBI custody.

On July 12, 2024, the Supreme Court granted Kejriwal interim bail in the ED case, questioning the validity and timing of his arrest by the ED in March, 2024. Despite the bail in the ED case on June 20, Kejriwal remained in custody under CBI’s separate charges.

On August 5, the Delhi High Court upheld the CBI’s decision to arrest Kejriwal, directing him to approach trial court to seek regular bail.

On August 12, 2024, Kejriwal challenged the Delhi High Court’s decision before the Supreme Court in which, the Supreme Court after hearing the arguments and submission made by the Kejriwal’s Counsel and CBI’s response, reserved the verdict on September 5, 2024.

And, significantly on September 13, the division bench of Supreme Court set aside the arrest made by CBI in June 26 and ordered the release of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. 

Submissions made by Arvind Kejriwal

Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi appeared for Delhi CM Kejriwal. He submits that Kejriwal was arrested illegally, in violation of the procedure enumerated in Sections 41(1) and 41A of the CrPC. He further added that High Court erred in misapplying the provision of Section 41(2) of the CrPC to justify the noncompliance’s of Section 41(1)(b)(ii) of the CrPC and consequential arrest of the Appellant. He highlighted that Section 41(2) is attracted only non-cognizable offences and arrest of the Kejriwal was made in a case of cognizable offence. Singhvi also submits that the arrest was made against the dictum of this Court in Arnesh Kumar v. State of Bihar, (2014) 8 SCC 273.

Singhvi also emphasized that Kejriwal has been granted both interim and regular bail in the ED matter by this Court, where the conditions are stricter and submits that the trial was not likely to be concluded in the near future, as the FIR was registered on 17.08.2022, with one chargesheet and three supplementary chargesheets having been filed, 17 accused persons arraigned, as many as 224 witnesses cited and the physical and digital records running into lakhs of pages. Further he added that the fourth supplementary charge sheet was filed on 29.07.2024.

Submissions made by CBI

For CBI, Additional Solicitor General of India, S.V. Raju appeared before the bench and contended that arrest of the Kejriwal had been conducted in due compliance with the statutory procedure as contemplated in Section 41(1) and 41A of the CrPC. He strenuously urged that the pre-requisites set out in Section 41(1)(b)(ii) had been fulfilled as the CBI deemed it imperative to conduct the custodial interrogation of the Appellant to unearth a larger conspiracy hatched amongst the accused persons and to establish the money trail of ill-gotten proceeds. He argued that the CBI had obtained permission from the Trial Court, under whose custody the Appellant was.

ASG Raju referred, Section 41A (4) of the CrPC, which outlines the procedure for situations where an accused fails to comply with a Section 41A notice. He submits that, Kejriwal is already in jail, the conditions envisaged under Section 41A (4) becomes inapplicable and therefore, the requirement of notice thereunder was not necessary. He submits that Kejriwal should be relegated to the Trial Court.

Decision of the Supreme Court 

The division bench Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan of Supreme Court, granted bail to Arvind Kejriwal without going into the merits of the case. The bench affirmed the grant of bail to Kejriwal in concurrent view.

The observations made by Justice Surya Kant in its separate judgement shifted more to procedural grounds and technical aspects of the arrest. He affirmed the lawfulness of CBI arrest but on the other hand Justice Bhuyan expressed its different opinion with regards to the dramatic and hasty arrest made by CBI just after Kejriwal granted bail in ED case. 

The bench also imposed bail bonds for a sum of Rs. 10,00,000/- against bail and made restriction Kejriwal from making any public comments on the merits of the CBI case. (Para 47)

Justice Bhuyan questions need and necessity of CBI arrest

Pertinently, Justice Ujjal Bhuyan in his separate judgment, has expressed displeasure with CBI and said that Kejriwal’s arrest by the agency after secured bail in the ED case was only to frustrate Kejriwal’s release from prison.

Justice Bhuyan while playing active role in pronouncing of judgement in CM Kejriwal’s CBI arrest and unjustified the CBI arrest and said that the CBI did not arrest Kejriwal for 22 months and arrested Kejriwal just after the bail granted by ED. 

Justice Bhuyan while questions the timing of CBI arrest, observed that “it is evident that CBI did not feel the need and necessity to arrest the appellant from 17.08.2022 till 26.06.2024 i.e., for over 22 months. It was only after the learned Special Judge granted regular bail to the appellant in the ED case that the CBI activated its machinery and took the appellant into custody. Such action on the part of the CBI raises a serious question mark on the timing of the arrest; rather on the arrest itself. For 22 months, CBI does not arrest the appellant but after the learned Special Judge grants regular bail to the appellant in the ED case, CBI seeks his custody. In the circumstances, a view may be taken that such an arrest by the CBI was perhaps only to frustrate the bail granted to the appellant in the ED case.” (Para 23)

“Power to arrest is one thing but the need to arrest is altogether a different thing”

Justice Bhuyan more specifically underlined the need and necessity of power to arrest while expressing his displeasure with CBI’s impugned arrest. He stated that “Power to arrest is one thing but the need to arrest is altogether a different thing. Just because an investigating agency has the power to arrest, it does not necessarily mean that it 16 should arrest such a person.” He further added that the existence of the power of arrest is one thing but justification for the exercise of it is quite another. (Para 27).

Justice Buyan relied upon the decision in Sidhartha Vashisht alias Manu Sharma Vs. State (NCT of Delhi), (2010) 6 SCC 1 and emphasized that investigation must be fair and effective. He stressed that investigation should be conducted in a manner so as to draw a just balance between a citizen’s right under Articles 19 and 21 of the Constitution of India and the expansive power of the police to make investigation. Concept of fair investigation and fair trial are concomitant to preservation of the fundamental right of the accused under Article 21 of the Constitution of India. (Para 28)

“Investigations are not used as a tool of harassment”

Notably, Justice Bhuyan pointed out the observation made in the case of Mohd. Zubair and Arnab Goswami, and reiterated that the existence of the power of arrest must be distinguished from the exercise of the power of arrest. The exercise of the power of arrest must be pursued sparingly and proper enforcement of criminal law on the one hand and the need to ensure that the law does not become a ruse for targeted harassment on the other. He further added that “courts must ensure that they continue to remain the first line of defence against the deprivation of liberty of the citizens. Deprivation of liberty even for a single day is one day too many.” (Para 30)

The bench placed reliance in case of Mohd. Zubair Vs. State (NCT of Delhi), (2022) SCC Online SC 897, and emphasized that the existence of the power of arrest must be distinguished from the exercise of the power of arrest. The exercise of the power of arrest must be pursued sparingly. He pointed out that “this Court reiterated the role of the courts in protecting personal liberty and ensuring that investigations are not used as a tool of harassment.” (Para 30)

“CBI must dispel the notion of being a caged parrot” 

Justice Bhuyan underlines that the CBI must dispel the notion of being a caged parrot and must show it is an uncaged parrot, he also reminded the CBI of its duty to ensure that its investigations are fair. Justice Bhuyan lambasted the CBI, pointing that as a premier investigating agency of the country, it should not perceive as making arrests in a high-handed manner.

While questioning the manner in which CBI made arrested of CM Kejriwal he emphasized that “CBI is a premier investigating agency of the country. It is in public interest that CBI must not only be above board but must also be seem to be so. Rule of law, which is a basic feature of our constitutional republic, mandates that investigation must be fair, transparent and judicious. This Court has time and again emphasized that fair investigation is a fundamental right of an accused person under Articles 20 and 21 of the Constitution of India. Investigation must not only be fair but must be seem to be so. Every effort must be made to remove any perception that investigation was not carried out fairly and that the arrest was made in a high-handed and biased manner” (Para 32)

Justice Bhuyan reprimands the CBI and observed that in functional government by the rule of law, perception matters. He added that “not so long ago, this Court had castigated the CBI comparing it to a caged parrot. It is imperative that CBI dispel the notion of it being a caged parrot. Rather, the perception should be that of an uncaged parrot” (Para 33)

Justice Kant stands on procedural grounds and technical aspect of the arrest

Justice Surya Kant while affirming the legality of the CBI arrest, primarily shifted towards procedural and technical aspect of the arrest and held that the arrest of Kejriwal was legal and did not suffer from any procedural irregularity. There is no merit in the submission that the CBI failed to comply with the statutory mandate of Section 41 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) while arresting him (Kejriwal).

Justice Kant held that arrest was valid and in compliance with relevant procedural laws.

“There is no impediment in terms of arresting a person already in custody for the purposes of investigation, whether for the same offence or for an altogether different offence.3 The Appellant’s arrest by the CBI was thus entirely permissible, in light of the Trial Court’s order dated 25.06.2024.” (Para 26)

Justice Kant procedural centric verdict also justified the procedure adopted by CBI during arrest of CM Kejriwal and held that Section 41A (3) allows for arrest, provided the reasons are recorded, justifying the necessity of such a step, and the police officer is satisfied that the individual should be arrested and Section 41A (1), when read with Section 41A (3) CrPC, does not impose an absolute prohibition on the arrest. (Para 27 & 28 of Justice Kant’s Judgement)

Justice Kant held that Kejriwal’s arrest does not suffer from any procedural flaw and was valid and said “in view of these considerations, we do not find any merit in the Appellant’s contention that the CBI failed to comply with Section 41A CrPC, in its true letter and spirit”. (Para 29) 

The bench unanimously grants bail to CM Kejriwal

Notably, despite the separate order passed by Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, the bench unanimously affirmed the bail to Arvind Kejriwal, while setting aside the impugned judgment of the High Court dated 05.08.2024, subject to the terms and conditions in para 47 of the order, authored by Justice Surya Kant.

However, Justice Ujjal Bhuyan has also doubted the correctness of the bail condition imposed by a bench headed by Justice Sanjiv Khanna in the ED case that Kejriwal will not sign papers and enter CM office. The bench also dismissed the criminal appeal challenging the legality of arrest.

The judgement of can be found here:

Related:

Justice Nyaya Bindu grants bail to Arvind Kejriwal in excise policy case, and becomes a victim of a right wing campaign 

Between Bail and Jail, how authorities bypass law and jurisprudence

Supreme Court grants bail to Manish Sisodia in excise policy case after 17 months of incarceration

The post Delhi Excise Policy Row: Supreme Court grants bail to Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The court order relied on the Supreme Court order, in the same case to grant bail to the accused.

“An important observation has been given by Hon’ble Supreme Court as pointed out by Ld. Counsel for the applicant in the order dated 10.05.2024, wherein it was observed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court that:-

“..no doubt, serious accusations have been made, but he has not been convicted. He does not have any criminal antecedents. He is not a threat to the society. The investigation in the present case has remained pending since August 2022. Arvind Kejriwal was arrested, as noted above, on 21.03.2024. More importantly, legality and validity of the arrest itself is under challenge before this Court and we are yet to finally pronounce on the same. The fact situation cannot be compared with harvesting of crops or plea to look after business affairs.

In this background, one the matter is subjudice and the questions relating to legality of arrest are under consideration, a more holistic and libertarian view is justified, in the background that the 18h Lok Sabha General Elections are being held.”

23. These observations of Hon’ble Supreme Court cannot be ignored while deciding the present bail application of the present applicant. It is reiterated by Ld. Counsel for the applicant that Supreme Court has considered the antecedents of the applicant and the same cannot be denied by the court.”

The court held that the ED had failed to establish that the co-accused Vijay Nair was acting upon the directions of Kejriwal and has also failed to show that Kejriwal has close relations with Vinod Chauhan and Charanpreet Singh.

“ED has also failed to clarify as to how it came to the conclusion that the sum of rupees one crore attached from Vinod Chauhan was the part of the proceeds of the crime. ED is also not clarifying as to how the alleged amount of rupees 40 crores being traced out during the investigation is forming a part of the proceeds of the crime,” the court said.

The court noted that the ED failed to reply on certain issues raised by Kejriwal like, he was not named in the CBI case or the in the ECIR FIR.

“Secondly, the allegations against the applicant have surfaced after the subsequent statements of certain co- accused. Thirdly, this is also an admitted fact that the accused has not been summoned by the court till date, yet, he is lying in the judicial custody at the instance of ED on the pretext of the investigation being still going on,” the court said.

The strong observations made by the trial court include, that the ED has failed to show the money-trial, the connection to Goa Election, work without bias, and connect Kejriwal to any proceeds of the crime, a timely investigation and any sort of connection with Vijay Nair.

The order of the trial court can be read here

The court while granting bail, observed that bulky documents had been filed by both the parties.

“Although, various bulky documents and citations have been filed by both the parties, most of which were not even relevant in respect of the present application but it seems that both the parties have filed the same alongwith detailed oral arguments with the apprehension as to an order may be passed in favour of the opposite party. Admittedly, the present matter is a peculiar case wherein various accused, witnesses and stake holders are involved and neither ED nor the defense wants the order to be passed in favour of the other. However, it is not passible to go through these thousands of pages of the documents at this juncture but this is the duty of the court to work upon the matter whichever comes for consideration and pass the order in accordance with the law.”

This statement created a stir of comments on twitter. The BJP IT cell attacked Justice Nyaya Bindu for the statement “However, it is not passible to go through these thousands of pages of the documents at this juncture but this is the duty of the court to work upon the matter whichever comes for consideration and pass the order in accordance with the law.”

Please embed the following tweets here:

A courageous judge Nyaya Bindu exposed the fabricated nature of an ED case against Arvind Kejriwal, causing significant turmoil within the BJP’s IT Cell. pic.twitter.com/WZMYNjwcWY

— Jitender Singh (@jitenderkhalsa) June 22, 2024

Justice Nyaya Bindu को BJP IT cell द्वारा troll करने पर सुनिए वरिष्ठ वकील विपिन शुक्ला ने क्या कहा

“जज को troll करना बिल्कुल ही गलत है, हम हिंदुस्तान में कहते judges bold नही होते अपने judgements में , यहां जज bold होगया तो आप उसे ट्रॉल करने लगे ” pic.twitter.com/kLGCxXr8JP

— Bhanu AAP (@LAXMINAGAR_AAP) June 23, 2024

So the Rouse Avenue Court had granted bail to Kejriwal without reading the full documents?

Why would they do this? It raises serious questions on that particular judge as well as the judiciary. pic.twitter.com/uiIpchWOKb

— Mr Sinha (@MrSinha_) June 21, 2024

This right wing campaign did not stop here.

The High Court of Delhi also in its order stayed Arvind Kejriwal’s bail while stating that the entire voluminous record was not perused. Such an observation was “totally unwarranted” and showed that the trial court has not applied its mind to the material.

“The observation made by the Vacation Judge in Impugned Order is uncalled for, unwarranted and out of context. The Vacation Judge should refrain from making such observations in the Impugned Order. The Vacation Judge was required to consider every important and relevant document at time of passing of Impugned Order,” 

The order of the High Court can be read here:

The law on bail

Bail is a right and jail is the exception, innocent until proven guilty are just maxim’s that have been left in India. The application of these principles in close to nil. In the case of Sumit Subhaschandra Gangwal & Anr. v. The State of Maharashtra  (Crl.) No(s). 3561/2023; 27-04-2023, the Supreme Court held as follows:

“Detailed elaboration of evidence has to be avoided at the stage of grant/rejection of bail/anticipatory bail. We do not appreciate such a lengthy elaboration of evidence at this stage.”

“It is always said that in the matters pertaining to liberty of citizens, the Court should act promptly. In our view, such an inordinate delay in passing an order pertaining to liberty of a citizen is not in tune with the constitutional mandate.”

In the case of Kadar Nazir Inamdar v. The State of Maharashtra (Crl.) No(s). 4793/2023 the rule of law laid down was reaffirmed.

“Recently, this Court, vide order dated 27.04.2023 passed in SLP(Crl) No. 3561/2023, had deprecated the practice of detailed elaboration of evidence in the orders granting/rejecting bail/anticipatory bail. This Court also depreciated the practice of long delay between reserving the matter for order and pronouncing the order” the court said, while reaffirming the judgement.

Justice Nyaya Bindu’s decision to grant bail to Arvind Kejriwal was firmly rooted in the principles of justice and fairness as emphasized by the Supreme Court of India. The Court’s stance that detailed elaboration of evidence should be avoided at the bail stage, as seen in Sumit Subhaschandra Gangwal & Anr. v. The State of Maharashtra and Kadar Nazir Inamdar v. The State of Maharashtra, underscores the need for prompt and just actions in matters affecting personal liberty. Justice Nyaya Bindu’s remarks on the impracticality of reviewing thousands of pages of documents in a short timeframe reflect the principles laid down by the common law system as well as the law of the country that is expedient justice rather than any dereliction of duty. The principles of “innocent until proven guilty” and the right to bail as opposed to pre-trial incarceration are foundational to our legal system, yet they often face challenges in practical application, especially under intense public and political scrutiny.

The subsequent criticisms from the right-wing factions and the Delhi High Court’s decision to stay the bail highlight a disturbing trend where judicial decisions are subject to public opinion rather than being solely based on legal merit. This public and political interference undermines the independence of the judiciary and threatens the core principles of justice. Justice Bindu’s approach, aimed at safeguarding personal liberty while the legal validity of the arrest is still under review, aligns with the constitutional mandate and Supreme Court directives.

Conclusion

The essence of our legal system is to uphold justice without fear or favour, irrespective of the public or political pressures. Justice Nyaya Bindu’s decision embodies this principle, focusing on the legal merits of the case and the rights of the individual. The integrity of the judicial process must be fiercely protected, ensuring that decisions are made based on law and justice rather than succumbing to external pressures. This case exemplifies the need for a judiciary that stands resilient against undue influences and upholds the rule of law, ensuring that the scales of justice remain balanced and fair.

By adhering to the principles laid down by higher courts and taking a stance that prioritizes liberty and justice, Justice Nyaya Bindu’s decision serves as a reminder of the core values that the judiciary must protect. The legal community and society at large must support and reinforce these values, condemning any efforts to undermine judicial independence and ensuring that justice prevails based on legal merits, not the court of public opinion.

Related :

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Understanding the PMLA & its bail conditions | Legal Insights

Examining Jurisprudential Shifts: The Evolution of Bail Provisions Under PMLA – Part II”

Prabir Purkayastha Case: Mandate of providing grounds of arrest to PMLA/UAPA accused, some safeguards

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The post Justice Nyaya Bindu grants bail to Arvind Kejriwal in excise policy case, and becomes a victim of a right wing campaign  appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Equally pertinent to highlight here is, that a few hours prior to Kejriwal’s arrest, the Election Commission of India (ECI) had released the complete electoral bond data with the unique identification numbers on the orders of the Supreme Court. Just one hour prior to the nigh time arrest, independent media had revealed that the Hyderabad based company, namely Aurobindo Pharma Limited, had donated Rs 5 crore to the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2022. Ironically, the company has P Sarath Chandra Reddy as one of its directors, who is one of the accused that was taken into custody by the ED in the Delhi Liquor Policy case. As detailed in the report of Scroll, Reddy was arrested by the ED in the said case on November 10, 2022. Ironically, this man accused and arrested in the Liquor Scam was first arrested and thereafter his company Aurobindo Pharma bought electoral bonds worth Rs 5 crore on November 15. All of them were encashed by the BJP soon after, on November 21, 2022!

It is essential to highlight here that Sarath Reddy’s bail case had come up before the Delhi high court, the Enforcement Directorate did not oppose bail. In May 2023, the court granted him bail on medical grounds. Notably, another Rs 25 crore was donated to the BJP after Reddy turned approver in the Delhi excise policy case. As per the report, Sarath Reddy had turned approver in the Delhi excise policy case in June 2023. In November 2023, Aurobindo Pharma gave another Rs 25 crore to the BJP. Reddy continues to be out after turning approver.

AAP Protests

As news of his arrested emerged, AAP Mumbai announced a protest outside the ED office in Mumbai at 11 pm. The protestors had deemed the said arrest to be “illegal”.

The Aam Aadmi Party will protest the illegal arrest of our leader and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal

Time- 11pm

Venue- ED Office, Mumbai.

Sincerely,

Preeti Sharma Menon
Mumbai President Aam Aadmi Party

— AAP Mumbai (@AAPMumbai) March 21, 2024

Soon enough, Mumbai police reached the protest site and started detaining those protesting outside the ED office.

Mumbai police have taken away Mumbai Pradesh Leader @sajidkhan1686 ! pic.twitter.com/uhCEQKFCu4

— AAP Mumbai (@AAPMumbai) March 21, 2024

It has been claimed by the protesters that extreme brutality was meted out at the protestors at the hands of the Mumbai police. The team of Sabrang India was provided details by AAP Mumbai President, Preeti Menon and Zoru Bhathena, senior AAP Mumbai member and activist, who provided that the protestors were hot and pushed by the Mumbai police during the protest. Bhathena also provided that AAP leader Aslam Merchant was also punched in the nose by an inspector, due to which the leader suffered a severe bleeding.

Sabrang India made every effort to contact both the Azad Maidan and MRA police stations for their reactions on both the detentions and the allegations of unprofessional and violent conduct. The Azad Maidan police station representative who refused to identify himself declined giving any information except to say that the AAP leaders and activists were not detained there. The MRA police station representative did speak to Sabrang India, admitted that detentions took place in this jurisdiction and answered in the affirmative when we asked whether they were produced before the jurisdictional Court. He however declined from identifying himself and said he had “no information on the violent ill-treatment meted out at the MRA police station.”

The ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) account of AAP Mumbai also provided a video of Mumbai President Preeti Sharma Menon, Working President Ruben Mascarenhas and other leaders including Deepaq Silan being arrested by the Mumbai police and being stuffed in a police van.

Mumbai President @PreetiSMenon along with Working President @rubenmasc & Mumbai leaders including @DeepaqSilan arrested by police from outside Mumbai ED office#IStandWithKejriwal pic.twitter.com/WUCdFZIXet

— AAP Mumbai (@AAPMumbai) March 21, 2024

Arrested by @MumbaiPolice while protesting with @AAPMumbai volunteers against the illegal arrest of @ArvindKejriwal .

This is the first time that we have seen such use of force. Tremendous groundswell of support for us.

Narendra Modi Chor Hain!#IStandWithKejriwal pic.twitter.com/6hYLGmgBHH

— Ruben Mascarenhas (@rubenmasc) March 21, 2024

Many others were arrested.

Aam Aadmi Party Mumbai cadre led by @piusvarghese, @AAPkeAcharya @adityampaul, @NeetaSukhatank1 @waheedk62893560 protest outside ED office Mumbai & have been arrested pic.twitter.com/EeEFLQmG2I

— AAP Mumbai (@AAPMumbai) March 21, 2024

Details provided by the AAP Mumbai team stated that one of the Mumbai cops present in civil clothes, namely Vishal Kasar, allegedly even threw Menon on the floor. As provided by him, the said cop had a clear smell of alcohol on his breath. A video of the officer allegedly shoving Memon was shared on social media through the AAP Mumbai account.

Drunk police officer (in Blue Civil clothes) shoves AAP Mumbai President @PreetiSMenon at Azad Maidan!
Is this what Mumbai police has been reduced to @CPMumbaiPolice ? pic.twitter.com/tPkls5PUkf

— AAP Mumbai (@AAPMumbai) March 21, 2024

What kind of brutality is this Mumbai Police!#IStandWithKejriwal pic.twitter.com/YDhFfRNp3L

— AAP Mumbai (@AAPMumbai) March 21, 2024

Statement of AAP Mumbai President Menon is as follows:

Mumbai President @PreetiSMenon‘s statement at Mumbai’s #IStandWithKejriwal protest pic.twitter.com/WBbdtnu2tY

— AAP Mumbai (@AAPMumbai) March 21, 2024

The team of Sabrang India was further appraised that after the detention, the protestors were shifted from police station to police station, and were finally made to sit in the Azad Maidan police station. The protestors were allegedly without any light and fans, without chairs, without toilets, without even a durrie to sit on. When the detained protestors demanded to be allowed to sit on the benches, the Mumbai police officers hit and shove them.

On the ‘X’ account of AAP Mumbai, an update of the protestors sitting at the Azad Maidan police station at 1:40 am without any charges being filed against them was put up.

Women volunteers of Aam Aadmi are still detained at Azad Maidan Police Station without any charges filed.
It is now 1:40 am pic.twitter.com/WoPvbNntoI

— AAP Mumbai (@AAPMumbai) March 21, 2024

It is now 2 am #IStandWithKejriwal pic.twitter.com/WLjePWXHjn

— AAP Mumbai (@AAPMumbai) March 21, 2024

It is now 3 am.
Still everyone says #IStandWithKejriwal pic.twitter.com/UXypaImJNn

— AAP Mumbai (@AAPMumbai) March 21, 2024

Later, the detained protestors were taken to St George’s hospital for medical examination. The doctors who were conducting their check-up wrote their Blood Pressure without actually checking the same. When objections were raised by the protestors, a woman constable allegedly tore up the evidence.

Been brought to St George for a medical by @MumbaiPolice
The ‘supposed’ doctor is making fake entries without actually doing a check! Wrote fake BP figures @CPMumbaiPolice this whole system has become a joke. When caught he tore the papers pic.twitter.com/ZQv0NDzFDn

— Preeti Sharma Menon (@PreetiSMenon) March 21, 2024

Colossal attempt at fraud!
The medical Staff at St George’s hospital’s casualty dept just attempted to record our leader’s BP without measuring it & then tried to hide it!
They were caught by our alert volunteers #IStandWithKejriwal pic.twitter.com/7RX9oTh18b

— AAP Mumbai (@AAPMumbai) March 21, 2024

Many of the AAP leaders and volunteers detained, which included women, in Mumbai remained in detention overnight. As provided by Bhathena, ten AAP leaders, namely Pius Verghese, Ruben Mascarenhas, Manu Pillai, Suresh Acharya, Aditya Paul, Sajid Khan Waheed Khan, Sundar Padmukh, Atanyu Mukherjee, Sudhesh Patel, were still in detention at MRA Marg Police Station at the time of publishing this story. They were to be taken to Mazgaon Court on March 22.

The AAP leaders protesting the arrest of CM Kejriwal in Delhi also met with a similar fate. As per multiple reports, AAP workers and locals had gathered at Delhi’s ITO to protest. Senior leader Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj were also detained.

VIDEO | Delhi minister Atishi (@AtishiAAP) detained during protest by AAP workers at ITO against Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest.#KejriwalArrest

(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/n147TvqRQz) pic.twitter.com/AfUY4nMk7s

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 22, 2024

VIDEO | #Lucknow: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers detained while protesting against the arrest of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.#KerjiwalArrested

(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/n147TvqRQz) pic.twitter.com/Yhyl4eH3gj

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 22, 2024

VIDEO | Several AAP workers, including minister Saurabh Bharadwaj (@Saurabh_MLAgk), detained during their protest at ITO against Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest.

(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/n147TvqRQz) pic.twitter.com/4ksbkhpH2N

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 22, 2024

VIDEO | Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers, protesting at ITO against Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest, detained.#KejriwalArrest

(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/n147TvqRQz) pic.twitter.com/ev69xVEigP

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 22, 2024

AAP workers protesting in Chandigarh were also detained.

VIDEO | AAP workers, protesting against the ED arrest of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, detained in #Chandigarh.#KejriwalArrested

(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/n147TvqRQz) pic.twitter.com/CjLCBDUGn9

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 22, 2024

VIDEO | Police use water cannons to disperse the AAP workers, protesting against the ED arrest of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, in Chandigarh. pic.twitter.com/W8si964g95

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 22, 2024

AAP workers protesting in Lucknow were also detained.

VIDEO | #Lucknow: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers detained while protesting against the arrest of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.#KerjiwalArrested

(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/n147TvqRQz) pic.twitter.com/Yhyl4eH3gj

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 22, 2024

Related:

Withdraw “politically motivated” summons, need to campaign for state elections: Arvind Kejriwal

Delhi HC: ED does not have the power to arrest on their “whims and fancies”

From a former CM to a symbol of Adivasi resistance: Hemant Soren’s statement in Jharkand Assembly

The post Mumbai: AAP protestors experience extreme police brutality, allege arbitrary detentions appeared first on SabrangIndia.

In a two page letter made public today, Kejriwal states that “in the said summons it is not clear as to what capacity I am being summoned.” Besides, he says, the said summons fails to provide details in relation to the File bearing F. No. EClR/ HIUJJ/ 14/2022” which is the criminal complaint in the liquor policy case.

He also states that the “said summons does not specify whether l run being summoned as an individual or in my official capacity as Chief Minister of Delhi or as National Convenor of AAP and appears to be in the nature of a fishing and roving inquiry.” Two senior members of his party, one the Delhi Deputy CM, Manish Sisodia and also, Rajya Sabha MP, Sanjay Singh have already been arrested in the same case. Sisodia’s bail was turned down by the Supreme Court this week.

In the letter, Kejriwal seeks to explain that the “summons appear to be motivated and issued for extraneous considerations. As soon as the summons were issued, on the  afternoon of October 30, 2023, leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) started making statements that he would soon be summoned and arrested. By the evening of October 30, Kejriwal had received the summons.

Kejriwal finally explains (or states) in the letter that as “incumbent Chief Minister of the Government of NCT or Delhi and National Convenor or the Aam Aadmi Party, i.e. the ruling party in the state of National Capital territory (NCT and Punjab.” The fact that there are five states in the Country, i.e. Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarb, Rajasthan and Telangana are heading for elections and he is the chief campaigner for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), he is required to travel and hence cannot be present before the ED.

Related:

Bhagwant Mann, Arvind Kejriwal celebrate PunjAAP, share common vision

UP Assembly Elections: Lakhimpur Kheri witness allegedly attacked by BJP goons celebrating victory

Forcing the EC to cancel elections is unprecedented, unconstitutional: Arvind Kejriwal

The post Withdraw “politically motivated” summons, need to campaign for state elections: Arvind Kejriwal appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Since the release of The Kashmir Files on March 11, 2022 the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members including Union Ministers have widely endorsed the movie. The Indian National Congress that is portrayed as the political villain in the movie criticised the same for manipulating historical facts. However, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ha so far largely remained silent about the whole affair.

This changed on March 24, 2022 when AAP leader Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal openly slammed the movie and the BJP for its propaganda during Assembly proceedings.

Since the release of the movie, Union Ministers from Smriti Irani to State BJP leaders endorsed the movie despite its its exaggerated and often inaccurate narrative. The Ministers remained deaf to the criticisms from the Kashmiri Pandit community as eventually even Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the movie around March 15.

Worse still, states like Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh made the movie tax-free supposedly to allow more people to view the film. To all this and more, Kejriwal lashed out on Thursday asking BJP members, “Is this why you entered politics? What will you tell your children?”

He especially ridiculed the party for putting up posters of The Kashmir Files all over the country and condemned the party for falling at the feet of a film-maker.

“After eight years of running the Centre, if the Prime Minister of a country falls to the feet of Vivek Agnihotri then it means he has done nothing in these eight years,” said Kejriwal in the background of enthusiastic table-thumping and praises by other Assembly members.

Regarding the demands for tax-exemption, Kejriwal made a tongue-in-cheek comment to make the movie completely free by posting it on YouTube so that everyone can see it in a single day. Taking dig after dig at the ruling regime, Kejriwal compared those making such demands to the crowd of protesters in Bunty aur Babli movie who were unaware of what they wanted.

He even ridiculed Agnihotri for complaining to the Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar about a local BJP leader’s attempt to do a screening for free and calling it a “criminal offence”.

WARNING:
Showing #TheKashmirFiles like this in open and free is a CRIMINAL OFFENCE. Dear @mlkhattar ji, I’d request you to stop this. Political leaders must respect creative business and true Nationalism and Social service means buying tickets in a legal and peaceful manner. ? pic.twitter.com/b8yGqdrmUh

— Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri (@vivekagnihotri) March 20, 2022

“In the name of Kashmiri Pandits, some people are earning in crores and you people have the job of putting up posters. Look at your state. Open your eyes,” said Kejriwal.

In the same speech he then cut into party politics and encouraged BJP members to switch sides. Comparing Modi to the German tyrant Adolf Hitler, the AAP leader said, “Even Hitler employed his lackeys. What did they [the BJP] give you? Did your children get jobs? Did they make arrangements for food and power?”

Claiming that his party ensured better healthcare, provided free electricity, gave jobs to 12 lakh youths and improved schools and hospitals in the national capital, he called upon people to leave the BJP and join the AAP. According to Kejriwal, he asked people to “stop this mindless following” and said that his party will not make people raise false slogans and put up posters

“We will work on nation-building together,” he said.

Naturally, his speech was well received on social media.

Vintage Kejriwal!

Disclaimer : Vivek Agnihotri and BJP people shouldn’t watch this video. pic.twitter.com/ablQfhdl9M

— Abhijeet Dipke (@abhijeet_dipke) March 24, 2022

Talking about a movie on genocide like this. Thank god he reminds us from time to time that he is Arvind Kejriwal. #TheKashmirFiles pic.twitter.com/hYlUQYtXE4

— Abhijit Majumder (@abhijitmajumder) March 24, 2022

In the same way, Indian Express reported how BJP MP Manoj Tiwari struck back at Kejriwal by alleging him to be a “Hindu Virodhi”. Wrongly accusing him of making fun of Hindus, he said that the Kashmir genocide happened because of people like him. During initial release, similar comments were made by him by enraged audiences promoting the movie in cinema halls.

On the other hand, BJP General Secretary Dushyant Gautam said Kejriwal insulted Kashmiri Pandits. Other critics like Tejaswi Surya said he will “pay heavy political price for this inhuman depravity”.

By not only denying but also mocking Hindu Genocide in Kashmir, Kejriwal has made it clear whose side he is on – that of the terrorists.

He will pay heavy political price for this inhuman depravity.

Whitewashing terror is as criminal as perpetrating terror. pic.twitter.com/lZG8hfSGwM

— Tejasvi Surya (@Tejasvi_Surya) March 25, 2022

Among the most contentious points in the movie, critics gave a thumbs-down to the movie for distorting facts like the rule of BJP-led leaders both at the Centre and state-level at the time and the exaggerated focus on Hindus during the insurgency. Many Kashmiri Pandits speaking to the BBC Hindi or voicing their opinion on social media, pointed out that Muslims and Sikhs also suffered at the time.

Related:

Kashmir Files hate project: Radicalising people, one show at a time?
Jharkhand: Youths attack Class 9 student for not chanting Jai Shri Ram!
Silence is not an option: Journalists to India’s Constitutional institutions
The Kashmir Files: Right-wing

The post Kejriwal’s scathing speech against BJP promoting The Kashmir Files appeared first on SabrangIndia.

“Must be the first time in the last 75 years that the Central Government has written to the Election Commission forcing it to defer elections,” Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said responding to the postponement of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) elections by the Election Commission. Kejriwal alleged that the EC postponed the MCD election dates under pressure from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government at the Centre, who he said was “scared of an AAP sweep”.

Kejriwal said the postponement of the announcement of the dates was “unprecedented, unconstitutional, and bad for democracy.” State Election Commissioner SK Srivastava was scheduled to announce the dates for the MCD polls at a press conference at 5 P.M on March 9. However, Srivastava told the media that the announcement was deferred, “I have received some communication from the central government at 4.30 PM, so I am not able to announce the dates right now.” 

According to Kejriwal, the “postponement was done soon after the Centre wrote to the EC, asking it to defer the polls as it wanted to combine the three municipal corporations — North Delhi Municipal Corporation, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation and the East Delhi Municipal Corporation.”

Forcing EC to cancel elections is unprecedented, unconstitutional and bad for democracy. Press Conference | LIVE https://t.co/IPKrtfeJuK

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) March 11, 2022

The Delhi CM, and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener said, “People are saying, the excuse of merging the three MCDs is a mere farce; the real reason is that BJP wants to postpone elections… BJP knows that AAP’s wave is taking over the country, the anticipation is that it will drown in the wave once MCD elections take place.” Kejriwal said that he was appealing “to the Prime Minister with folded hands to not cancel the elections; this poses a huge threat to our democracy,” adding, “Leaders like Kejriwal or the PM are not important; what matters is this country, its people and is values which should not be infringed upon at any cost.”

The Delhi CM asked, “What pressure is the State Election Commissioner under? What threat or greed can be bigger the greater good of the country?” He demanded that the “State Election Commissioner must come out in the open and narrate to the public the pressure he is going through; I am sure the whole country will protect him,” as this was for the “first time in the last 75 years that the Central Government has written to the Election Commission, forcing it to defer elections.”

The AAP, which has just won the Punjab Assembly elections with a massive mandate, is confident it will repeat its performance in the MCD elections and that “the BJP will drown in the same [AAP] wave.” Kejriwal recalled in his public statement released on march 11 that, “MCD elections were round the corner uptil now. They were supposed to be announced on March 9. The Delhi Election Commission sent a press invitation on the morning of March 9, saying that it will announce the MCD poll dates at 5 PM in the evening. They were supposed to notify all dates related to nomination, withdrawal and the guidelines in that regard. But, right before the presser, around 4 PM, the Centre wrote a letter to the EC asking them to defer the polls because they apparently want to merge the three MCDs.”

Kejriwal has alleged that the “EC buckled under pressure and announced during the press conference that it is deferring the polls” and this move he says has “raised concern amongst the people of Delhi.”He said, “They have started to worry about their democratic systems even while being the residents of the national capital. They want to know the reasons why the BJP-led Central Government did not merge the MCDs in the last 7-8 years of being in power. They want to know the reason behind such a cowardly move one hour before the election declaration. Did they think of merging the MCD at the very last moment?”

According to him the intention is “not the merger but the postponement of the polls” and “what the Central Government has done should not have happened had they any respect for our democracy. The Election Commission mustn’t have succumbed to the pressure mounted by the Centre. These events aren’t merely unfortunate but unbelievable in the modern day context.”

He asked that Prime Minister Narendra Modi intervene in the matter and not cancel the MCD elections, “What if some party in the future asks to cancel elections because they want to amend our parliamentary system into a presidential one? Can we let this happen? Can we as citizens let elections be cancelled because the ruling party wants to merge two states before their elections? Mr Prime Minister, there will be no Kejriwal and no Modi in the future. Don’t do this to our country, don’t ruin our democracy for political goals.”

Kejriwal asked if the State Election Commissioner was “threatened by the ED, CBI, Income Tax or did he face some bigger threat? He is supposed to retire in April. Was he lured with some post-retirement roles to be compromised in such a manner? How could he agree to postpone elections within just one hour?”      

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lashed out at Kejriwal. First Union Minister Meenakshi Lekhi said, “Such allegations on principal institutions (EC) do not seem gracious. I’d like to ask Kejriwalji, can any city survive without a municipal corporation? As he has now started the process of removing municipalities.” This was followed by Union Minister Smriti Irani who questioned Chief Minister Kejriwal on “why MCD funds were stopped for seven years?” She alleged that “money for parks, hospitals and community centres was stopped” and that Kejriwal “deprived MCD of Rs 13,000 crore” and also “deliberately stopped” the money for development works and salaries of the sanitation workers. She also ridiculed the AAP, for its loss in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections saying, “It is ridiculous that the Aam Aadmi Party which forfeited its deposit in 55 out of 70 seats in Uttarakhand and got only 6% votes in Goa, the leader of that party Arvind Kejriwal Ji is the leader of the country is taking a dig at the chief servant. Kejriwal himself will be present in protest against the reforms of the corporation in Delhi, which perhaps the citizens of Delhi would never have imagined.”

The war of words has only just begun.

Related:

Bhagwant Mann, Arvind Kejriwal celebrate PunjAAP, share common vision
UP Assembly Elections: Lakhimpur Kheri witness allegedly attacked by BJP goons celebrating victory

The post Forcing the EC to cancel elections is unprecedented, unconstitutional: Arvind Kejriwal appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Arvind Kejriwal, the Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader, echoed right-wing politicians and said that an “anti religious conversion” law must be made. Kejriwal was speaking in poll bound Punjab’s Jalandhar and said, “Religion is a private matter. Everybody has the right to worship a God. A law should definitely be made against religious conversions but nobody should be wrongly harassed through this. Conversion done by scaring them is wrong,” in Punjab’s Jalandhar. 

Punjab will go to polls in a single phase on February 20 and the counting of votes will be done on March 10. Kejriwal has projected AAP as the alternative to Punjab’s incumbent Congress-led government. However, his statement is similar to what political leaders of BJP-ruled states make, when it comes to religious conversions. The BJP-governed states of Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, have brought such a law in place and other BJP-ruled states, including Haryana and Assam, have also voiced their desire to enact similar laws to prevent conversions. 

Arvind Kejriwal is one of the few CMs who has also led his cabinet colleagues and performed a “public” a.k.a government’s Diwali puja for the past two years. It is the only religious festival celebrated publicly by the Delhi government using public funds. In 2020 RTI activist and TMC member Saket Gokhale, had cited an RTI reply to claim that  Delhi’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government had spent ₹ 6 crore on its Laxmi Puja event in November that year. The event was telecast live on November 14, 2020. In 2021, Kehriwal’s ‘sarkari’ or Government Diwali, as it were, was celebrated against a backdrop of Ayodhya’s Ram temple set up at Thyagaraj Sports Complex as part of its ‘Dilli ki Diwali’ celebrations.

However during his Goa campaign Arvind Kejriwal who is also AAP national convener had already promised the people of Goa “free pilgrimage” to various religious centres, including Ayodhya and Ajmer Sharif, if his party is voted to power. All for free. Free as in on Taxpayers money.  Wooing Goans he had said, “If AAP comes to power, we will arrange for free darshan of Lord Ram in Ayodhya. Christian brothers and sisters will be taken to Velankanni and Muslims to Ajmer Sharif. Many people also have faith in Sai Baba, and will arrange trips for Shirdi for them.” 

In Punjab, as reported in The Wire, the Bharatiya Janata Party is also trying to “polarise the Hindus of Punjab and try and include them in its larger Hindutva project.” 

Related:

Karnataka gov’t is “pro Hindu”: V Sunil Kumar 
K J George pinpoints major flaws in anti-conversion Bill
Hate Watch: Right-wing extremists attack Muslim man and non-Muslim woman for travelling together 
2021 was ‘most violent year for Christians in India’: UCF report

The post Law should be made against religious conversions: Kejriwal in Punjab appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Adityanath, who is an ordained monk and the Mahant or head priest of the Gorakhnath Math, the famed temple of Gorakhpur, seems to have inspired his counterpart in Delhi. Arvind Kejriwal, is now doffing his hat at one of the biggest milestones of the Bharatiya Janata Party, the under construction Ram Temple at Ayodhya, by building a replica in Delhi.

Kejriwal, will lead his cabinet colleagues and then perform the Diwali puja there on November 4. The Delhi government performed a similar puja last year for the biggest Hindu festival celebrated in India and abroad. Delhi of course has a mixed population of all religions, however the government has now chosen to organise its second Diwali puja, as the only religious festival celebrated publicly by the government using public funds.

Delhi government building a replica of Ayodhya’s Ram temple at Thyagaraj Sports Complex as part of its ‘Dilli ki Diwali’ celebrations.

CM Arvind Kejriwal along with his cabinet ministers will perform Diwali puja here on November 4 pic.twitter.com/X8B5lqhUHX

— ANI (@ANI) November 2, 2021

Last year RTI activist and now TMC member Saket Gokhale, had cited an RTI reply to claim  that  Delhi’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government had spent ₹ 6 crore on its Laxmi Puja event in November 2020. The event was telecast live on November 14, 2020. Similar plans may be afloat this year too, hoardings have already come up in the city to signal a ‘sarkari’ or Government Diwali, as it were. And as is known, the government revenue is also the money generated from taxpayers. 

The Delhi government’s replica of Ayodhya’s Ram temple is being set up at Thyagaraj Sports Complex as part of its ‘Dilli ki Diwali’ celebrations, stated news report. 

Wooing Goans for 2022

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who is also AAP national convener has already promised the people of Goa “free pilgrimage” to various religious centres, including Ayodhya and Ajmer Sharif, if his party is voted to power. Eyeing Goa as its next Assembly polls project the AAP boss has decided that Goans need to travel to religious sites and he is the one who will arrange it. All for free. Free as in on Taxpayers money. 

Of course there was some talk of corruption in Goa etc and he said, “When we announce the poll guarantees, people ask me from where will I get funds. Former governor Satya Pal Malik has given a reply to it,” the Delhi chief minister was referring to Gov Malik’s recent interview to a news channel. The governor has reportedly said that he saw large scale corruption in Goa, during his one-year tenure, Kejriwal said, “Satyapal Malik is a very mature man. He is not a light-hearted man. The Governor has his own system under which he gets a lot of information,” adding, “Since 1947, it has not happened that any Governor has accused the Chief Minister of his party.”

However, first pack your bags to claim pilgrimage promise

For Goans, “If AAP comes to power, we will arrange for free darshan of Lord Ram in Ayodhya. Christian brothers and sisters will be taken to Velankanni and Muslims to Ajmer Sharif. Many people also have faith in Sai Baba, and will arrange trips for Shirdi for them,” said Kejriwal. Goans now have the choice of AAP, Trinamool Congress, BJP, Congress and the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, apart from independent to vote for. Now it is yet to be seen if any other party has offered a better pilgrimage packet. Meanwhile, Delhi residents, who are spending a second Diwali under Covid protocol, and cracker ban, just have to switch on their TV sets and see the CM and other ministers to a Laxmi puja at the Ram Mandir replica. No travel needed.

Related:

Challenges of ‘hyper-nationalism’ highlighted in Vatican’s Diwali message

AAP’s Diwali Pujan – the power to presume

The post What Adityanath can do, Kejriwal can replicate faster appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Haryana Chief Minister ML Khattar was trying to give Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal a dose on how to manage the shortage of Covid-19 vaccines in the National Capital. However, Khattar ended up exposing that the Haryana government was in fact administering a limited number of vaccines to the people so they could apparently ‘manage’ the stocks better.

In a video clip he appeared to be reacting to the Kejriwal-led government’s regular alerts on shortage of vaccines, and suggested that the Delhi government was using up vaccine stocks too fast, and running low on it leading to the pause in administering shots to the 18-44 age group. 

He also accused Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who along with senior members of his team, have been talking about the shortage of vaccines almost daily, of “indulging in politics”. Kejriwal replied, “My goal is not to save vaccines, it is to save lives.” He said it was only the vaccine that will save lives, and the more people are vaccinated, more lives will be saved.

खट्टर साहिब, वैक्सीन से ही लोगों की जान बचेगी। जितनी जल्दी वैक्सीन लगेंगी, उतने लोग सुरक्षित होंगे। मेरा मक़सद वैक्सीन बचाना नहीं, लोगों की जान बचाना है। pic.twitter.com/WnWGxyIJ7O

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 31, 2021

Khattar, on Sunday accused Kejriwal of indulging in “drama” as the latter had announced a shut down of vaccination centres due to a shortfall. However the Haryana CM’s formula to ration the vaccine to a limited number each day so it lasts longer is flawed to even a lay person. “Like other states, should we also finish all 2 lakh doses in a day? We use 50,000-60,000 doses a day. All this… Arvind Kejriwal should see. But his intention is to indulge in politics and he does that. Nobody should play politics during a pandemic,” said Khattar.

Meanwhile, Kejriwal asked, “If we go at a slower pace to save the vaccines, how will we ensure vaccination for all our people to protect them from Corona?” He put the ball back in the Central government’s court and said that, states are unable to procure vaccines on their own, as manufacturers want to deal with the Centre directly. Kejriwal said, “Procurement, production, and distribution of the vaccines is the responsibility of the Central government,” whereas  administering the vaccines to the people was the state governments’ responsibility.

He also said that Delhi is also facing a low supply of injections needed to treat black fungus cases. “There are 300 cases of Black Fungus in Central government hospitals and around 650 in Delhi government hospitals. However, the supply of injections is low. We had received 1,000 injections the day before yesterday, but did not receive any injections yesterday. It takes 3-4 injections per person per day,” he said. 

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Covid-19: Which Indian states failed miserably in tackling the pandemic?

The post My goal is to save lives, not vaccines: Arvind Kejriwal appeared first on SabrangIndia.

One would think that the members of the Union Cabinet were all too busy in formulating and implementing policies that would help the nation survive the ongoing challenges, especially in the wake of Covid-19. However, that may not be the case with all ministers. Some are busy doing what they consider is even more important, viewing the almost daily virtual press conferences of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, and then critiquing the video frame. This would pass as fake news, if it was a troll posting it on social media. However it is Union Culture and Tourism Minister Prahlad Singh Patel, who has taken strong objection to the way the National Flag has been kept behind Kejriwal during the virtual conferences. 

Patel has written to Delhi Lt-Governor Anil Baijal and put his objections on record. A letter has also been sent to CM Kejriwal as well. The minister is yet to share if either has responded to his objects but he did post on SM that he was “hurt” by the way the flag is seen behind the CM’s medium-close up frame, and accused Kejriwal of insulting the Tricolour. He then shared a photo of himself in his office, a long shot that shows the two Tricolours in full, and also framed photos of the President and prime minister. 

केजरीवालजी माहिर हैं कि वे अपने को बेहतर साबित करने के लिए देश की तय मान्यताओं को ध्वस्त करते रहते हैं।इस बार उन्होंने राष्ट्रीय ध्वज का अपमान किया मै आहत हुआ। इस बाबत उन्हें और उपराज्यपाल जी को पत्र लिखा हैं।वे चुप रह सकते हैं पर देश कैसे चुप रह सकता है?मा @ArvindKejriwal जी । pic.twitter.com/SbhZii8KIC

— Prahlad Singh Patel (@prahladspatel) May 29, 2021

The minister told the media that he has “been watching Arvind Kejriwal’s press conferences and videos in which I find that the green part of the Tricolour is placed prominently, and has been increased on either side of Kejriwal. There are pictures of this sort of display, which you can see yourself. This is in clear violation of what has been prescribed by the government on how the flag can be used and displayed.”

He wrote to Lt Gov Baijal, detailing his objections that: “… The white portion at the centre of the flag has been reduced to emphasise the green portion,” according to Patel this “is in violation of regulations on depiction of the national flag as has been issued by the Home Ministry.” All displays of the national flag are under guidelines of the Emblems and Names (Prevention and Improper Use) Act, 1950, and the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971. 

In March this year The Madras High Court held that the representation of the Indian National Flag on a cake and the cutting of the same does not amount to an offence under Section 2 of The Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971. Justice N. Anand Venkatesh explained that there is no doubt that nationalism in a democracy like India is vital but, “hyper and surfeit adherence to it goes against the prosperity of our nation from all its past glory”, adding “a patriot is not one who only raises the Flag, symbolises his national pride and wears it on his sleeve, but also, a person who bats for good governance. The symbolisation of national pride is not synonymous with patriotism, just like how cutting a cake is not unpatriotic.”

Now  Union Minister Prahlad Patel has alleged that  Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, accusing him of using the National Flag as “decoration” during the virtual press briefing.

Patel has highlighted in his letter, Section 2(ix) of The Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, which states that the flag should not be used as a decoration.

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Varanasi court issues notice to Kunal Kamra for allegedly insulting the National Flag
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