Arvind Kejriwal case: wife claims 'big exposé' coming up

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's wife Sunita claimed her husband will do a "big exposé" on the alleged excise policy scam in court on Thursday, even as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo failed to get immediate relief from the Delhi High Court, which refused to interfere with his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Kejriwal is likely to be produced before a city court on conclusion of his ED custodial remand. His wife on Wednesday also claimed that no money was found in multiple raids conducted by the Central probe agency.

Meanwhile, Delhi lieutenant-governor V.K. Saxena said the Delhi government will not be run from jail, a statement that came against the backdrop of repeated assertion by AAP leaders that Kejriwal will continue as chief minister even if he is behind bars. Replying to a query at the Times Now Summit, Saxena said, "I can assure the people of Delhi that the government will not be run from jail."

Responding to the LG's statement, AAP leader and Delhi cabinet minister Atishi, in an interview with PTI, cited The Representation of the People Act that disqualifies a lawmaker if he or she is convicted.

"What is the Constitutional provision he is drawing on? The law of the country is very clear. You have the GNCTD Act which is very clear that you cannot be the chief minister if you do not enjoy majority in the house. These conditions do not apply. So under what conditions will President's Rule be imposed?" she asked.

She also said Kejriwal's arrest will benefit the AAP electorally in the Lok Sabha polls as the party is getting a lot of sympathy, but termed the arrest as an attack on democracy that was "never seen before" in the democratic history of the country.

The day saw protests by both AAP and BJP, with both the parties raising slogans against each other. While BJP leaders and workers protested outside the Delhi Assembly demanding Kejriwal's resignation, AAP MLAs raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

BJP legislators also took out a march carrying placards. Leader of the opposition Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said Kejriwal should resign as chief minister.

Clad in yellow T-shirts and sporting 'Kejriwal' masks, AAP MLAs arrived at the Assembly to attend a one-day session on Wednesday to mark their protest against the party supremo's arrest. Party leaders, including ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj, symbolically took their social media campaign to the Assembly as they came dressed in yellow T-shirts with slogans such as 'main bhi Kejriwal' and 'Modi ka sabse bada dar Kejriwal' printed on them.

"All AAP MLAs are protesting against chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's illegal arrest. Efforts are being made to do away with democracy in the country. For the first time in India's history, a sitting chief minister has been arrested and that too just before the national (Lok Sabha) election," Atishi told reporters during the protest.

As the Assembly proceedings began, the AAP MLAs stormed into the well of the house raising "murdabad" slogans against the Centre and demanding Kejriwal's release. The House was adjourned until 1 April amid the sloganeering.

Earlier in the day in a digital briefing, Kejriwal's wife Sunita said her husband would reveal details of the alleged liquor scam in court on Thursday and also present evidence. She said when she met him in ED custody, he told her that the Central agency has conducted more than 250 raids in connection with the "so-called liquor scam" in the last two years, but "not a single paisa" has been found.

"The ED raided (AAP leaders) Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh and Satyendar Jain's places but no money was found. They raided our (CM residence) place and found just Rs 73,000," she said, and asked whether the money was from the "so-called liquor scam".

Meanwhile, the Opposition INDIA bloc is holding a 'maha (mega) rally' at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan on 31 March to "safeguard the country's interests and democracy".

"We will hold a maha rally at Ramlila Maidan on 31 March against what is happening in the country. The top leadership of the INDIA bloc will participate in the event," AAP's Delhi convenor Gopal Rai said on Sunday.