Arvind Kejriwal resignation: Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal today (September 15) said that he will resign from the post of Chief Minister just after two days and would demand early polls in the national capital as he vowed not to sit in CM's chair till people give him a "certificate of honesty".
Kejriwal, who was released on bail from Tihar in the excise policy corruption case, said, "I will only sit on CM's chair after people give me a certificate of honesty. Want to give 'agnipariksha' after coming out of jail."
"I will become chief minister, Sisodia deputy CM only when people say we are honest," he said.
"Until the elections are held, there will be someone else as CM. Both Manish Sisodia and I will not become Chief Minister", Kejriwal added.
New CM will be decided soon: KejriwalKejriwal announced that another AAP leader will be the Chief Minister till the elections conclude. He said the decision about the new CM will be taken in a few days.
"I am ready for Agni Pariksha", said Kejriwal, adding, "Two days later, I will resign as Chief Minister. I will not sit on that chair till the people announce their verdict. Elections in Delhi are months away."
I urge all to vote for me if I am honest: Arvind Kejriwal
"After 2-3 days there will be a meeting in which we will decide the CM. I and Manish Sisodia are going to 'Janta ki adalat' and our future is in your hands. I urge you all to vote for me if I am honest, if not then please don't. If the Centre questions why a government cannot function from prison, I have proven it can. I now appeal to all non-BJP Chief Ministers to not resign if falsely imprisoned by the PM. We must not resign under any circumstances. Running a government from jail is possible if we all work together. It’s not about our greed for power or the importance of the CM's position to us. What matters is our Constitution, our country, and preserving democracy," said Kejriwal.
Two days after he was granted bail and walked out of prison after six months, Kejriwal launched an all-out attack against the Narendra Modi government and said it "was more dictatorial than the British".
Earlier, AAP leader and former Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia said, "The BJP drafted a fantasy story named the 'liquor scam'. The Supreme Court gave bail to Arvind Kejriwal and ended that story. It is a happy ending for us and a sad ending for the BJP. They thought they would keep Arvind Kejriwal jailed till the Delhi elections but their stories were proven to be wrong in the court, and today Arvind Kejriwal and I are out of jail."
Kejriwal at AAP's new party office
He arrived at the party office in Delhi on Sunday morning. Notably, it was his first visit after being released from the Tihar jail on Friday night.
Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann said that Kejriwal will address the nation, adding to that he stated, "He kept the party united even from the jail. And the workers kept it united from the outside. If any other party had faced so many problems, it would have been broken."
Earlier on Saturday, Kejriwal held a meeting with senior party leaders in which discussions were held on various issues, including assembly polls in Haryana and party organisation in the national capital.AAP leaders said Kejriwal will campaign in Haryana, where the party is contesting on all 90 assembly seats.
AAP general secretary and MP Sandeep Pathak told ANI that they will contest elections with full strength in Haryana. The meeting was held at the residence of senior AAP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. Among those present were party leaders Sanjay Singh and Gopal Rai. Kejriwal held a roadshow from Chandgiram Akhara to his official residence after being released from jail.
Kejriwal's lawyers furnished surety bonds for his release before the special CBI judge, citing the Supreme Court ruling. Upon his release, Kejriwal was welcomed by a large crowd of AAP leaders and supporters outside the Tihar jail. His supporters celebrated outside his residence with firecrackers.
The Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to Kejriwal, saying prolonged incarceration amounts to unjust deprivation of liberty. The apex court also put certain conditions on Kejriwal's release, including that he shall not make any public comments about the case and shall be present for all hearings before the trial court unless exempted.
