Party plans to go whole hog over Kejriwal arrest

AAP to campaign door to door in coming days

The Aam Aadmi Party will launch a ‘mass contact programme’ after a volunteers’ meet to tell people about the ‘circumstances’ leading to the former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest. The party also said that it would challenge the Delhi court’s decision if it goes against Kejriwal on Friday, the next hearing.

AAP has decided that Kejriwal will not furnish a bond if the Metropolitan court demands it, in keeping with the party’s “principled” approach.

The party, however, said it will not protest until the court’s hearing.

“We would launch a door-to-door campaign and tell how an honest man like Kejriwal is in jail,” said party leader Ashutosh, explaining party’s changed stance.

He along with his wife, Sunita Kejriwal and party leader Sanjay Singh met him at Tihar jail.

AAP said Kejriwal has been kept in the ‘Vipasana’ cell and was fine. His wife, who carried clothes and medicines for him, accused the media for alleging that the party is putting up a ‘drama’.

“He is not a criminal. Why should he pay money when he is ready to give an undertaking,” she said.

The AAP leader was sent on two-day judicial remand by a Delhi court on Wednesday after he refused to furnish bail bond in a criminal defamation complaint filed against him by BJP leader Nitin Gadkari. Choas had broken outside the Tihar jail after his arrest as AAP workers and leaders thronged the site.

Workers released

Some 59 party workers, including senior party leaders Yogendra Yadav, Manish Sisodia, Rakhi Birla and Jarnail Singh were detained on Wednesday night for violating prohibitory orders. Many of the detainees were released the next morning, said Jarnail Singh.

Condemning Delhi Police for forcefully evicting protestors, the party said that it would decide on the future course of action after the court’s decision.

“We have called for a meeting of all our volunteers,” said party leader Gopal Rai.
AAP linked Kejriwal’s denial to furnish the jail bond with his fight against corruption. Rai said, “The court should consider it on the basis of merit. This is no normal case because those fighting against corruption will be diminished.”

AAP also said it would challenge the court’s decision in the higher court.

‘Not mandatory’

“We told the court that it is not required to have a bail bond for those who are ready to give an undertaking that they will remain present for court proceedings,” said the party leader and lawyer Prashant Bhushan, arguing that it is not mandatory for the court to ask for a bail bond.  

“We will highlight the facts before the court tomorrow. Many poor people are stuck in the jail because they cannot provide the bail bond,” added Bhushan.