Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced on Sunday that he would step down in two days and call for early elections in Delhi, promising not to return to the chief minister’s office until the people affirm his “honesty.”
Kejriwal, who was granted bail on Friday after being held in Tihar Jail in connection with the excise policy corruption case, said he would soon convene a meeting of AAP legislators, after which another party leader would assume the role of chief minister.
“The Delhi elections are scheduled for February, but I demand they be held in November alongside Maharashtra,” Kejriwal said. “I will only sit in the CM’s chair when the people give me a certificate of honesty. I want to pass an ‘agnipariksha’ after my release from jail.”
The AAP leader added that both he and Manish Sisodia would return to their respective posts of chief minister and deputy CM only when the public recognizes their integrity. Accusing the BJP of attempting to tarnish his image, Kejriwal claimed, “They cannot offer good schools and free electricity because of their corruption. We, however, are honest.”
Kejriwal further criticized the BJP’s alleged tactics against non-BJP chief ministers, urging them not to step down if imprisoned but to continue leading from jail. “I did not resign after my arrest because I have immense respect for democracy and the Constitution, which is supreme to me,” he stated, emphasizing that AAP alone could counter the BJP’s “conspiracies.”
Referring to his 2014 resignation as CM over the Jan Lokpal Bill, just 49 days into his tenure, Kejriwal remarked, “I stepped down for my principles. I do not have any craving for power.”
He noted that the excise policy case could continue for a long time and expressed his desire to seek the people’s opinion on whether he is innocent or guilty. He urged voters to support him only if they believed in his honesty. “For me, the BJP is irrelevant. The people matter,” he affirmed.
Kejriwal also mentioned his colleagues, Satyendar Jain and Amanatullah Khan, who remain in jail, expressing hope for their swift release. Addressing AAP workers, he thanked God for guiding them through the challenges.
Reflecting on his time in jail, Kejriwal compared his experience to freedom fighter Bhagat Singh’s letters during British rule, stating that he only wrote one letter to the Lieutenant Governor and received a warning in response. He also criticized restrictions on jail visits, noting that his colleague Sandeep Pathak was not permitted to visit him, unlike the freedoms allowed to revolutionaries during British rule.
(With inputs from agency)
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