Delhi Assembly elections: Ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday (August 22) launched a new campaign called 'Kejriwal Aayenge' following the release of party leader Manish Sisodia on bail. Notably, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is lodged in Tihar jail in connection with a corruption case linked to the alleged excise policy scam being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
'Sisodia aa gaye hai, Kejriwal aayenge'
"The party has launched the 'Kejriwal Aayenge' campaign. Hoardings of Kejriwal with the tagline 'Kejriwal Aayenge' have been put up in the national capital. The party's new slogan is 'Sisodia aa gaye hai, Kejriwal aayenge'," an AAP functionary said. Kejriwal's former deputy Sisodia, was recently granted bail in the excise policy case after spending 17 months in jail. AAP leaders are optimistic that Kejriwal will also receive bail soon.
On August 9, Sisodia walked out of Tihar Jail and said he got bail due to the power of the Constitution and democracy. He said this same power will ensure the release of Kejriwal. The Supreme Court gave the former Deputy Chief Minister bail in corruption and money laundering cases linked to the Delhi excise policy case and said his long incarceration without trial had deprived him of the right to speedy justice.
Kejriwal's judicial custody extended till August 27
Meanwhile, a Delhi court on August 20 extended the judicial custody of Chief Minister Kejriwal till August 27 in a money laundering case lodged by the CBI in connection with the alleged excise policy scam. Special Judge Kaveri Baweja extended Kejriwal's custody after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader was produced before the court through a video conference on the expiry of the period of his judicial custody granted earlier.
Earlier on August 14, the Supreme Court also refused to grant interim bail to Kejriwal in the said case and sought a response from the probe agency on his plea challenging his arrest. Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Kejriwal, submitted that he had got interim bail on three occasions in the money laundering case, also linked to the alleged scam, despite the stringent conditions laid down for grant of bail in cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Delhi Excise policy case
The matter relates to alleged corruption and money laundering in the formulation and execution of the Delhi government's now-scrapped excise policy for 2021-22. It is alleged that the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22 to grant licences to liquor traders allowed cartelisation and favoured certain dealers who had allegedly paid bribes for it, a charge repeatedly refuted by the AAP. The policy was subsequently scrapped and Delhi Lt Governor VK Saxena recommended a Central Bureau of Investigation probe, following which the ED registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
(With PTI inputs)
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