INDIA bloc leaders rally at Jantar Mantar, demand release of Delhi CM Kejriwal

INDIA bloc leaders gathered at Jantar Mantar on Tuesday, 30 July to demand the release of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal amid his declining health and hit out at the BJP-led Centre for "suppressing" the voice of opposition.

They also blamed the Centre for obstructing the work of the Delhi government, therefore leading to the recent incident in Rajinder Nagar where three students died after getting trapped in a flooded basement of a coaching centre.

Slogans of "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" and "End dictatorship" were raised during the protest rally called by the AAP.

CPI(ML) Liberation leader Dipankar Bhattacharya said three senior AAP leaders -- Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain were put in jail as "part of a conspiracy".

He also accused the Centre of obstructing the work of the Delhi government, and held them responsible for the situation in the national capital, including the Rajinder Nagar coaching centre deaths.

"The Modi government is responsible for the anarchy in Delhi. This anarchy took the lives of the three UPSC aspirants in Rajinder Nagar. BJP took the lives of three UPSC aspirants," Bhattacharya said during the rally.

"They tried to end AAP, weaken Delhi government as part of a conspiracy. The elected chief minister is in jail. Umar Khalid and many activists are in jail in false charges in Delhi riots. Bhima Koregaon fake case, father Stan Swamy was in jail and he even died while in custody. There is a huge conspiracy against leaders, activists,” he said.

The BJP-led Centre is “trying to suppress the voice of those who oppose them", he said.

"Six months ago when Arvind ji, Hemant ji were arrested, we knew it was a conspiracy because Lok Sabha elections were there,” he said.

"Hemant ji came out, there was an appeal to stop his bail but it was dismissed. Kejriwal ji was released for less than a month. Now though he has been given a bail there is a conspiracy to keep him in jail,” he said.

“It is a conspiracy to finish a democratically elected government and a political party,” Bhattacharya said, urging the people to give their reply to the BJP in upcoming assembly polls in Haryana, Maharashtra and Jharkhand by defeating the BJP.

“The recent mandate has proved that people won't tolerate tyranny. We will ensure justice,"he added.

Communist Party of India general secretary D Raja also demanded the immediate release of the Delhi chief minister, and expressed concerns about his health.

“After BJP's coming to power, democracy is no longer 'for' the people, democracy is 'far' from people, democracy is not 'of' the people, it is 'off' the people, and it is not 'by' the people, it is 'buy' the people,” Raja said.

"Kejriwal is one of the victims of the central agencies used by the Modi government. Can we allow this? How much longer can we tolerate this situation in the country. Kejriwal is not well and his health has deteriorated,” he said.

AAP Delhi convener Gopal Rai said Kejriwal's sugar levels are going down in custody.

"He was granted bail by trial court and Supreme Court but a conspiracy was hatched to keep him in jail. Why does BJP want to put opposition leaders in jail? Who is responsible for the deaths of the three UPSC aspirants?” Rai said.

"When LG is being asked about the incident, he is quiet. The BJP, which is demanding Kejriwal's resignation, snatched away the powers of the Delhi government. They want rights but run away when they are held accountable," he charged.

Nationalist Congress Party – Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SP) chief Sharad Pawar and Deputy Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi are also present in the INDIA bloc rally.

Congress Rajya Sabha MP Pramod Tiwari referred to Kejriwal's wife Sunita as a "symbol of resistance" as he began his address.

"We have come to give complete moral support to AAP and Kejriwal on behalf of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, and party leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the struggle against illegal arrest of Arvind Kejriwal. The arrest of Kejriwal in an illegal and unconstitutional manner indicate nothing but the bad intentions of the BJP," he alleged.

Tiwari said it was "height" of inhumanity to keep Kejriwal in jail despite his medical reports showing dip in his blood sugar to a dangerous level.

The Congress and AAP had fought the recent Lok Sabha elections in Delhi in alliance. AAP had fielded candidates on four seats and Congress on three seats. However, the alliance drew a blank.

Gogoi warned the BJP and its leaders saying they cannot scare the opposition whether it is AAP, Congress or any other party.

"Their illusion lies shattered with this rally. If fair Lok Sabha elections had been held in 2024, the BJP would have been in opposition and we would have been in power. The BJP-led government is not going to complete its five-year term," he stressed.

Kejriwal was arrested on 21 March by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy scam and has been granted bail by the Supreme Court. However, he is currently lodged in Tihar in a connected CBI case.