Former associates divided over corruption allegations against Kejriwal

On a day when Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal faced one of the worst crisis of his political career, his former associates like Anna Hazare and Yogendra Yadav appeared divided over the corruption allegations levelled against him.

While one section felt that graft charges need to be backed by solid evidence, the other was not ready to jump with an endorsement as ousted Delhi Minister accused Kejriwal of taking Rs two crores from a cabinet colleague Satyendar Jain. Jain is also accused of helping Kejriwal's relatives to swing land deals worth Rs 50 crores.

Anna Hazare, with whom Kejriwal started an apolitical anti-corruption movement in 2011, gave a measured response which could be read as criticism of his former disciple. “It is unfortunate if he has accepted the cash. If the allegations are true, then he has shattered the movement. Probe will definitely reveal the truth,” he said.

Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi, who stood with Hazare against the movement taking a political turn, also did not leave the opportunity to hit back at Kejriwal. Bedi, who was BJP's Chief Ministerial candidate in 2015 polls and lost to AAP, tweeted, “Allegations of corruption made by a Minister claiming to be an eye witness, against his own CM needs an independent investigation forthwith.”

However, Swaraj India's Yogendra Yadav, who along with Prashant Bhushan was expelled after the 2015 polls for objecting to choice of candidates, felt that one needs to give solid evidence.

“I might agree with charges of power greed, arrogance, authoritarianism against Kejriwal, but charge of taking bribe need solid evidence,” Yadav said on Twitter, a view endorsed by Bhushan through a retweet.

Bhushan, who launched the Swaraj India with Yadav, also tweeted, “ the true test of character comes in adversity. We are now seeing the true faces of AAP's remnants as it's ship sinks. What an opportunity lost.”

Some tweets from Kejriwal supporters were also curious. Before making, it clear his support to Kejriwal, senior AAP leader Kumar Vishwas created a flutter with a cryptic tweet, “I know Arvind for 12 years. After working with him for these many years, I can say that I cannot even think that Arvind Kejriwal will indulge in corruption.”

Another MLA Somnath Bharti, who had to quit the Ministry earlier tweeted, “as much I know, Arvind could be anything but is someone who does not subscribe to corruption. His old associates will also vouch for it.”