NEW DELHI, March 24
Resolving not to get cowed down by the arrest of the Aam Aadmi Party supremo Shri Arvind Kejriwal, the legislators, councillors and office bearers of the party assembled today to chalk out the future course of action. To begin with, the AAP will hold a protest rally on March 31 at the Ramlila Maidan to be attended by lakhs of its volunteers.
The Aam Aadmi Party National General Secretary (Organisation) Dr Sandeep Pathak today held a meeting of the legislators, councillors and office bearers. It was decided at the meeting that Shri Arvind Kejriwal will not resign from the Chief Minister’s post and the ministers, MLAs and the party will continue to take his orders from the jail.
Those assembled at the gathering kept chanting slogans: “Arvind ji sangharsh karo, hum tumhare saath hain” (Arvind ji fight, we are with you), Bharat Mata ki Jai, Arvind Kejriwal Zindabad, amidst thunderous applause.
Addressing the gathering, Dr Sandeep Pathak said that like Kansa knew that his end will be at the hands of Krishna, Ravana knew that his end would come at the hands of Bhagwan Shri Ram, PM Modi also has this much understanding that his end will be brought by Kejriwal, which is why he started conspiring against Kejriwal from the beginning.
The AAP National General Secretary (Organisation) said when the AAP made government in Delhi, they (BJP) thought never mind it is confined to Delhi and we will not let them go beyond that. But when the AAP government was formed in Punjab, they sat together and said let us restrict them to Delhi and Punjab. But when AAP MLAs won in Gujarat, they got scared that Kejriwal will bring an end to them. Then they crossed moral boundaries and wanted to finish us and arrested Kejriwal, he added.
Dr Sandeep Pathak further said that now the next step of their conspiracy is to seek his (Kejriwal’s) resignation and after that break the party (AAP). To arrest Kejriwal was in their hands _ seeking help of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and CBI _ but now it is our job (to counter that).
He asked the party members assembled there, whether they feel, Kejriwal’s arrest ordered by Narendra Modi was correct, should Arvind Kejriwal resign from the post of Chief Minister?
Those present at the meeting answered in unison: “Sarkar chalegi jail se”. Listening to the sentiments of the party loyalists, Dr Sandeep Pathak said, “On behalf of all volunteers, I request Shri Arvind Kejriwal not to resign. The government will run from jail.”
He said the BJP’s conspiracy was to arrest Shri Arvind Kejriwal and then break the party. “I challenge nobody is going to break away from the AAP. Kejriwal in jail is more dangerous than when he was outside the jail because you (BJP) do not know him,” he said.
The AAP National General Secretary (Organisation) said now there will be no pleading, there will be war.
Dr Sandeep Pathak said some outsiders feel that how the party will run. “Earlier, we would get orders from the Civil Lines, now we will get orders from jail, and we will follow them. Earlier, Kejriwal ji was busy with governance, and he had made their life difficult. Now, he will have pen and paper with him all the time, just think what will happen to them. He will keep on giving orders and we will follow them,” he said, affirming that Shri Arvind Kejriwal will not resign.
The AAP National General Secretary (Organisation) said that three incidents in the recent past show that there is some divine intervention. He said the fraud in Chandigarh Mayoral elections was caught on camera. The entire country saw it. Earlier, they would cheat but never got caught, he added.
Dr Sandeep Pathak said the second act of God was when the Supreme Court opened the electoral bond issue. The conspiracy that the BJP has hatched through the electoral bond donation, the entire country saw it, he added.
The AAP National General Secretary (Organisation) said the third step the nature brought upon them is that they claim 400 seats in the Lok Sabha elections, which will come to 40 due to Kejriwal’s arrest.
Dr Sandeep Pathak said that news is coming from all corners in Delhi that those who did not vote for the AAP in Lok Sabha are saying they will vote for Kejriwal. “I was planning to design a campaign but Modi is doing our campaign,” he said.
The AAP National General Secretary (Organisation) said that he got an order from Shri Arvind Kejriwal to hold big rally on March 31 at the Ramlila Ground. “We all have to ensure it to make it successful,” he said.
Dr Sandeep Pathak said on March 26 preparation meeting in all assembly constituencies with all councillors will be held to make the protest rally on March 31 a huge success.
He urged the party leaders to organise zonal level meetings with MLAs and councillors on March 27-28 to target 10 people from each booth to ensure they reach Ramlila Maidan on March 31. “There are nearly 14,000 booths. With 10 people from each booth, the number of people reaching Ramlila Maidan will be 1.5 lakh,” he said.
Dr Sandeep Pathak said Shri Arvind Kejriwal will send his message there and that message will be forwarded to all colonies.
He said the “Main Bhi Kejriwal” campaign will start soon under which stickers will be pasted outside houses and on auto-rickshaws and hoardings. Those attending the rally should come with stickers of “Main Bhi Kejriwal” pasted on their vehicles, he added.
Dr Sandeep Pathak also urged the party leaders and volunteers to tie black ribbon on their arm as a mark of protest.
Addressing the party gathering, AAP senior leader Atishi said, “Today’s time is not just crucial for the Aam Aadmi Party but for the entire nation. It’s a moment when the entire world is watching whether democracy will survive in India or not. Today, in major newspapers around the world, whether it’s BBC, The Washington Post, or The New York Times, the headline is whether democracy will survive in India or not.”
She stated that for the first time in the country’s history after independence, following the announcement of elections, a national convener of a national party has been arrested in a fake case. It is the first time in the country’s history that a sitting chief minister, elected with a significant majority, with 62 out of 70 legislators, has been arrested in a fake case.
Ms Atishi stated that today, there is a discussion happening worldwide and the Modi government’s credibility is being questioned. Today, the Modi government is attempting to end democracy in India, trying to abolish India’s constitution. Over the past 10 years, we have seen that wherever the BJP loses elections in a state, they try to topple the government in one way or another. If they lose elections, they start poaching legislators through money. They initiate “Operation Lotus”. Where legislators cannot be bought, they leave their goons Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to hound legislators and opposition parties. They file cases with the CBI and the ED, raid leaders’ homes, and those who have been corrupt join their party to avoid going to jail. And as soon as they join the BJP, their past deeds are forgiven. All their cases are closed, and the CBI and ED go to court saying, “We are closing the case; our file is missing.” One by one, the BJP has dismantled all opposition parties.
She said today, if there is one party that despite all its efforts has not succumbed to the BJP, it is the Aam Aadmi Party. And the leader is Arvind Kejriwal. I salute those leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party who have been falsely imprisoned for a long time. But they have not bowed down to the BJP. I also salute the families of all these leaders who are going through difficult times, but they have never uttered a word to leave the Aam Aadmi Party. Even when Manish Sisodia’s wife’s health deteriorates so much, she still says that even if Manish Ji stays in jail for the rest of his life, he will never leave the Aam Aadmi Party, never join the BJP.
Ms Atishi said that despite BJP’s numerous attempts, when the Aam Aadmi Party and our leaders did not bow down, Prime Minister Narendra Modi felt that the only remaining way to suppress the Aam Aadmi Party was to arrest Arvind Kejriwal. Hence, without any evidence, in the darkness of the night following the announcement of elections, Arvind Kejriwal was arrested. They thought that the Aam Aadmi Party would now be finished.
But the BJP is under the misconception that Arvind Kejriwal is just an individual. I want to tell the BJP that Arvind Kejriwal is not just a person. Arvind Kejriwal is an ideology, an inspiration, a spark. You can put Arvind Kejriwal in jail, but how will you imprison his ideas? How will you imprison the spark of patriotism that Arvind Kejriwal has ignited among thousands and millions of people in the country?
Ms Atishi said, “Today, I want to tell the BJP that if they put one Arvind Kejriwal in jail, thousands of Arvind Kejriwals will take to the streets to save the constitution and democracy of this country. With the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal, PM Modi has announced to the entire nation and the world that Arvind Kejriwal is the only leader whom Prime Minister Narendra Modi fears. She said that the day Arvind Kejriwal was arrested, there were many volunteers, and everyone’s slogan was ‘Modi tera kaal, Kejriwal, Kejriwal’.”
AAP senior leader Atishi said that just as Kansa knew that his destruction would be at the hands of Lord Shri Krishna, and just as Ravana knew that his destruction would be at the hands of Lord Shri Rama, similarly, today Modi has realized that Arvind Kejriwal alone will be his downfall in saving the constitution of this country. She said that ever since Arvind Kejriwal was arrested, there has been a doubt in the minds of Delhiites that we will lose the free electricity, free water, good schools, and neighbourhood clinics that Arvind Kejriwal has provided us? Therefore, every leader and every worker of the Aam Aadmi Party needs to go to the people of Delhi with an important message, to tell them that no work of Delhiites will stop. The work will be done even faster than before.
She shared that this morning, Arvind Kejriwal, has instructed her from ED custody that the summer is approaching, there may be a water problem. In such a situation, the Water Minister must ensure that there is no shortage of water and provide water tankers wherever needed. “When I read those instructions, I had tears in my eyes. I thought, what kind of person is this? In such difficult circumstances, knowing that a dictator has put them in jail; still, Arvind Kejriwal is thinking about the problems of Delhiites rather than himself,” she said.
She said that it is Arvind Kejriwal who doesn’t think, “I am the Chief Minister of Delhi.” He thinks, “The 2 crore people of Delhi are his family.” He thinks like a son, like a brother, like a father, and even while in custody, he thinks for the people of Delhi. In this regard, all AAP workers need to take this message to every person in Delhi that even though Arvind Kejriwal is in jail, he is still getting every work done for the people of Delhi, just as he used to before.
Ms Atishi mentioned that Arvind Kejriwal had once said, “Whether I stay inside jail or outside, my life is dedicated to this country.” This is Arvind Kejriwal. She said that today we all need to take this pledge from here that whether we stay inside or outside, no matter how much oppression we face, even if the police arrest us and throw us in jail, every drop of our blood is dedicated to this country, to this constitution, and to this democracy. Therefore, now we must fight this battle with strength and courage, as soldiers of Arvind Kejriwal. We must fight being Arvind Kejriwal ourselves.
Speaking on the occasion, the Delhi State Convenor of AAP, Shri Gopal Rai, expressed his gratitude towards the Supreme Court for exposing the BJP in the electoral bond scam. The liquor excise policy scam has been in the news for a long time and the biggest culprit in that scam has now turned into a government approver because the BJP has extorted Rs 60 crores from him in exchange of his freedom. The BJP has been continuously claiming that the AAP has received huge bribes in the scam, however, the money has been traced back to the BJP account. He said, “Today, the Supreme Court has caught these donation thieves.”
“Everyone thinks that it is the end of the Aam Aadmi Party now that Arvind Kejriwal has also been arrested after Shri Manish Sisodia, Shri Satyendar Jain, and Shri Sanjay Singh. We are not scared and will not stop. We will keep fighting this war and in order to fight, we will have to kill this fear within us. We will have to make war policies to fight against the BJP’s conspiracy and dictatorship. Shri Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest is going to be a turning point in the Indian history, this one spark will burn the entire forest. Perhaps it was nature’s will that Shri Arvind Kejriwal would have to hammer the last nail in the coffin of the system of this corrupt dictatorship” he said.
The AAP cabinet minister further took potshots at the BJP for putting every effort in targeting Shri Arvind Kejriwal and getting him arrested. Their over confidence will soon become the reason of their fall. The fraudulent arrest of Shri Arvind Kejriwal will shatter their confidence of ‘400 Paar’, and it would soon be reduced to less than 40 seats.
The Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal will continue running the government from jail if need be. No matter where they send him, he was running the party and the government, and he will continue doing so.
Shri Gopal Rai also announced a mass protest against the fraudulent arrest of Shri Arvind Kejriwal at Ramlila Ground on 31st March 2024. “Ramlila Ground was the birthplace of the AAP supremo, Shri Arvind Kejriwal, and the same ground will be the birthplace of this movement against the dictator rule of the BJP. Every corner of Ramlila Ground must be logged with people. The BJP should get to know that the Kejriwal inside the jail is more dangerous than the Kejriwal who was outside. We will not let the BJP continuing their dictatorship. We will due fighting for the nation,” he concluded.
The senior leader of AAP, Shri Saurabh Bharadwaj reiterated how the Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal has dedicated his life to the nation. He has worked hard for the welfare of the society, be it the time of his weeks long fast or the movement to install CCTV cameras across Delhi when they protested at the LG Office. The news of ED’s arrival at Shri Arvind Kejriwal’s residence spread like a wildfire. Even the police had diverted and closed various routes, people still managed to reach the CM’s residence despite all the hurdles to protest against the arrest of Shri Arvind Kejriwal. We have conducted various demonstrations against the ED and the BJP in the last two days and people have joined us in large numbers.
“Many people assumed that the arrest of CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal means the end of the AAP, their government will collapse. They assumed that the BJP will now take over. However, our constant fight has given new hopes to the people, they have understood that the AAP is not going to back down.”
Motivating the party workers, the senior AAP leader said that you (AAP workers and volunteers) have to continue this fight. We will join the movement on 31st March 2024 in such huge numbers. “I can assure you that more crowd will gather outside than inside Ramlila Ground. Even the BJP supporters are saying that the arrest of Shri Arvind Kejriwal is fraudulent. This is not fair.”
“I was there when all of this happened, and the CM’s house was invaded by more than 15 ED officials and police officers without any prior notice. All these officers took control of his house and confiscated all their phones. They arrested him without any evidence. What is this hooliganism? How can an elected CM be treated like this? Think of his family, his children and his old parents. How would they feel about the atrocities against the CM of the National capital of the country, who has done so much for the people, for the country?”, he stated.
Shri Saurabh Bharadwaj also appealed to the people to become active on social media platforms to raise awareness about the atrocities of the central government. The public wants to know what we are capable of doing, how we are fighting against the BJP’s dictatorship. He appealed the public to share the videos which can spread more awareness amongst people. “The PM is only scared of this, that what will happen if the public sides with Shri Arvind Kejriwal”, he stated.
The AAP leader also enunciated the scenario of year 1977, when Indira Gandhi lost the elections by huge numbers. How there were nationwide protests against Indira Gandhi. After coming to power, the Janata Party made the biggest mistake of their life, that they arrested Indira Gandhi. The country did not forgive this thing in the next elections. The name and trace of the Janata Party was wiped off from the nation. This is what the people of India are capable of doing, this is the specialty of the people of this country.
“Your support will become the strength of Shri Arvind Kejriwal. Your fight will result in the release of Shri Arvind Kejriwal, not the lawyers’ arguments. Shri Arvind Kejriwal can only be released if the public stands with him, if the public raise their voice in his support,” he concluded.
