Was jailed so BJP could project me as 'chor': Kejriwal

'Even my kattar se kattar dushman says Kejriwal can be anything but not corrupt'

PTI

Chandigarh , Updated At : 04:15 PM Sep 24, 2024 IST

AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal addresses the crowd during a roadshow in support of party candidate Harpinder Singh ahead of the Haryana Assembly elections, at Rania in Sirsa district of Haryana. Photo: PTI

AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday stepped up his attack on the BJP-led Centre, alleging he was arrested as the ruling party wanted to project him as a "chor" (thief), but even his "fiercest enemy" believed he was not corrupt.

The former Delhi Chief Minister held a roadshow in the Rania Assembly constituency in Haryana's Sirsa in favour of Aam Aadmi Party nominee Harpinder Singh for the October 5 state Assembly polls.

Kejriwal resigned as the chief minister of Delhi after being released from the Tihar Jail last week, following his bail in the excise policy case by the Supreme Court.

AAP leader Atishi later took oath as the Chief Minister of the national capital.

Addressing a gathering during the roadshow, Kejriwal said he had to spend five-and-a-half months in the jail for no reason.

"What was my fault? My fault is being the Chief Minister of Delhi for 10 years. I set up good government schools for children of the poor. Earlier, there were power cuts for 7-8 hours in Delhi. But, now there is round-the-clock electricity. My fault is that I made electricity free in Delhi and Punjab," Kejriwal said.

"My fault is that I started a free 'tirath yatra' for the elderly people. So many works were carried out in Delhi and Punjab. No corrupt person could do these," he said.

Kejriwal said his government made electricity free in Delhi which involved a huge amount of money — "Rs 3,000 crore".

"Had I been a 'chor' (thief), I could have put Rs 3,000 crore in my pocket," he said. "I set up good schools for children of the poor. It involved expenditure. Had I been corrupt, I could have put it in my pocket," he added.

Attacking the BJP, he said electricity was quite costly in every state the party is in power.

"Electricity is not free in Haryana, it is very costly. I want to ask you who is a 'chor' — the one who makes electricity free or the one who makes electricity expensive," Kejriwal said. "Even my 'kattar se kattar dushman' (fiercest enemy) says Kejriwal can be anything but not corrupt."

"They tried to break me mentally and physically in jail. They stopped my medicines. I am diabetic. I have been taking insulin for 10 years. They stopped my insulin. I do not know what they wanted to do with me," the AAP chief said.

"They wanted to break my resolve. But they do not know that I hail from Haryana. You can break the resolve of anyone but not of ‘Haryanawala’," said Kejriwal.

The AAP leader said he came here to seek votes for his party in the October 5 Assembly polls.

"I came here to seek votes. It is not for getting power. I came after leaving power. I resigned from the post of Delhi Chief Minister. In today's era, nobody leaves even the post of a peon. Nobody sought my resignation," he said.

The AAP leader said he told the people of Delhi that they should not vote for him if they think he indulged in corruption.

"Your son and brother made Haryana's name popular in the country and the world. I set up governments in Punjab and Delhi. Give us a chance to serve Haryana. We will build schools and give free electricity in Haryana," he said.