Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday refuted the Enforcement Directorate (ED) charges that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was the “kingpin” in the liquor policy case and called it a “political vendetta”.
His remarks came two days after Kejriwal was arrested by the ED after being questioned by the probe agency in the liquor policy case. Kejriwal is presently in ED custody till March 28 and the AAP has termed it a “political conspiracy”.
In an exclusive interview with India Today’s Executive Editor Preeti Choudhry, Mann alleged that the BJP was scared of Kejriwal due to his growing stature and did not want him to campaign for the Lok Sabha elections.
“We have been saying from the beginning that Kejriwal would be arrested. They (BJP) don’t want a big leader like Kejriwal to campaign. They are scared of him. They want to finish him off and AAP,” he said.
“This is a political vendetta. There was one accused, Sharat Reddy, who was arrested. He earlier said he never met Kejriwal. But when he was questioned again in jail, he said he knew him. And now, his name has appeared on the electoral bonds’ list, and he donated Rs 55 crore to the BJP,” he added.
Asked about AAP’s assertion that the ‘Delhi government would run from jail’, Mann said there was no rule that stated that a Chief Minister can run the government even when he is physically not in his office.
Responding to a query on whether there was an unconstitutional crisis in Delhi, Mann refuted such a development and said the party has an outright majority in the national capital.
Asked if the Lieutenant Governor recommends President’s Rule in Delhi, Mann replied, “Why do we need President’s Rule? What has happened in Delhi? The Lieutenant Governor is selected and not elected. In a democracy, an elected government works.”
He questioned why federal agencies were not carrying out raids on politicians’ homes in BJP-ruled states and alleged that the saffron party wanted to “finish off” Opposition parties.
“ED is not a probe agency. It is equal to BJP. Niti Aayog is equal to BJP. CBI and Income Tax Department are also equal to BJP. Why are the raids happening only in non-BJP states?” the Punjab Chief Minister questioned.
“You have set a target of winning 370 seats. You fight elections on the Modi wave. (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi ji is such a tall leader. Why aren’t you allowing the Opposition to fight? This is which form of democracy?” he said.
He said he believed in the courts and asserted that the ED did not “find a single penny” from the houses of Kejriwal and other AAP leaders, including Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh and Satyendar Jain.
Mann stressed that “Kejriwal may have been arrested, but you cannot arrest his idea”.
Responding to ED’s allegations that approximately Rs 45 crore was transferred through hawala for AAP’s poll campaign in the 2022 Goa assembly elections, Mann said the party does not run on money, but from the love received from people.
Mann refuted speculations of Kejriwal’s wife Sunita joining the AAP and taking over the reins of the party.
Asked whether he would be the AAP’s face for Lok Sabha campaigning, Mann said the party did not have such a culture.
“We are all Kejriwals. ‘Main bhi Kejriwal’ (I am Kejriwal) is written on our party caps. Everyone is a leader. We can all campaign. Whatever responsibility I get from the party, I will do that,” he further said.
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