NEW DELHI, April 25
Demanding immediate end to the harassment and round-the-clock CCTV surveillance of Delhi Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal in Tihar jail, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Shri Sanjay Singh said that the treatment being meted out to an elected chief minister is against the dignity and system of a democracy like India.
In two separate letters written to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena, senior AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Shri Sanjay Singh has raised the issue of 24-hour CCTV surveillance and the harassment he had to undergo for getting life-saving insulin administered.
Reminding PM Modi of the famous speech by late PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee in the Parliament, laying stress on having cordial relations between the ruling and opposition parties in a democracy, Shri Sanjay Singh wrote: “Respected late Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji had said in the Parliament, ‘It is very important to have opposition in a democracy. Governments will come and go, political parties will be formed and disintegrated but the country should survive, and democracy should always remain’. If you had accepted Atal ji’s views, you would not have behaved like this. If you want to defeat Kejriwal ji, then defeat him in the elections…This method of killing the opposition in a democracy is extremely disgusting, criminal, and inhuman.”
Shri Sanjay Singh mentioned in his letter to the Prime Minister that the Delhiites are in deep pain over the harassment that their elected chief minister is being subjected to. “I want to inform you that whatever is happening with the elected Chief Minister of Delhi in the last few days is extremely sad. The entire people of Delhi are in deep pain. Tihar Jail has been turned into a torture chamber for Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. It has been revealed from reliable sources that Kejriwal ji is being monitored 24 hours by CCTV cameras by the PMO and LG. His every activity is being monitored as if he is a big spy,” wrote the AAP leader.
Mentioning about the struggle that Shri Arvind Kejriwal had to undergo for getting insulin, which he finally got administered after moving court, Shri Sanjay Singh wrote: “Despite being monitored throughout the day, he was not given life-saving insulin for 23 days, even though his sugar levels were worsening. Why is the three-time elected Chief Minister being treated inhumanely? After all, what is the crime of Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal ji? That he gave good education to the poor children of Delhi, provided good treatment to the entire Delhi, made electricity and water free, brought a scheme of giving Rs 1000 per month to mothers and sisters, became Shravan Kumar and made the elderly mothers and sisters go on pilgrimage for free. Is this a crime?” reasoned the AAP leader.
The Rajya Sabha MP wrote that at the behest of the government, the entire government machinery, leaving public work, has been keeping a watch on Kejriwal ji. “Why do you people want to see Arvind Kejriwal ji in CCTV 24 hours? They are monitoring each activity of Kejriwal ji _ from going to bathroom to eating food. Do you want to see how much Kejriwal ji became ill and how much Kejriwal ji’s morale dropped? Arvind Kejriwal, who gives free medicines to the entire Delhi, has to go to court to get insulin. How unfortunate this is… You may have ideological enmity with Arvind Kejriwal ji, but why this personal enemy?” he wrote.
Shri Sanjay Singh has suggested to the Prime Minister that instead of harassing Shri Arvind Kejriwal, he should compete with him by doing some good work. “Arvind ji is running the world’s best government in Delhi; why are you after him? If you want to compete with Kejriwal then build a school like him, build a hospital, provide free electricity, and water and do politics of work,” he wrote in his letter.
Shri Sanjay Singh wrote that the treatment being given to Shri Arvind Kejriwal in jail is a violation of the provisions under Article 21 of the Constitution. “The Supreme Court has interpreted Article 21 in detail, covering everything from health to food, bail, speedy trial, right to meet friends and family members, etc. But today all the fundamental rights of an elected Chief Minister are being mercilessly violated in the country. I am sad that all this is happening under the supervision of PMO and LG.,” wrote the senior AAP leader in his letter to PM.
The Rajya Sabha MP wrote why is he (Arvind Kejriwal) being tortured so much despite doing so much good work? The people of Delhi are very sad about this. Kejriwal ji’s old parents are also extremely saddened by your atrocities. His wife Sunita Kejriwal ji is taking his message to the entire country in this hour of grief. Her heart is also deeply saddened by your unjust conduct. This is a violent behaviour against democracy. This is an attempt to intimidate the opposition,” he wrote.
In his letter to the Lieutenant Governor (LG) of Delhi, Shri Sanjay Singh wrote that he has learnt through reliable sources that Kejriwal ji is being monitored 24 hours by the LG office through CCTV cameras and all this information is being sent to the Prime Minister’s Office. “Why are you doing all this? Why is the three-time elected Chief Minister being treated inhumanely? What is the crime of Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal ji? That he gave good education to the poor children of Delhi, gave good treatment to the whole of Delhi, made electricity and water free, brought a scheme of giving Rs 1000 per month to mothers and sisters, posing as Shravan Kumar, made elderly mothers and sisters go on pilgrimage for free. Is this a crime?” wrote the AAP leader.
Exhorting the LG of Delhi not to get involved in the petty politics of the BJP, Shri Sanjay Singh wrote: “You sign and approve all the policies of Kejriwal ji, you yourself see what a wonderful job the Delhi government is doing. The entire country is demanding as many schools and hospitals as Delhi. This is a matter of pride. But you have put the government machinery of Delhi on keeping a watch on Kejriwal ji.”
Reminding the LG of his duties as directed by the Supreme Court, the Rajya Sabha MP wrote, “Arvind ji is running the world’s best government in Delhi. Why are you after him? When the Supreme Court said in its decision that only the elected government of Delhi should have the real power. Even after that, why do you have so much enmity towards the Chief Minister of Delhi?…You are not holding a post of any political party, hence you should not be influenced by it. There is humanity even in political parties. Spying on a person for 24 hours and stopping his life-saving medicine is very inhumane.”
Demanding the treatment for Shri Arvind Kejriwal as other inmates in Tihar jail get, Shri Sanjay Singh wrote to LG: “The people of Delhi love him very much and consider him as their brother and their son. Do not cause pain to the people of Delhi. If you can’t take special care of him, then let him live like a normal human being.”
