Panaji: AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said that his party has successfully passed the “agneepariksha” (test of fire) following the court verdict in the alleged Excise Scam case.
Kejriwal stated that if elections were held in Delhi tomorrow, BJP would struggle to win even 10 seats, while AAP would secure more than 60 seats. Breaking his year-long silence on the matter, he explained that he had refrained from commenting until the court delivered its verdict, saying he felt deeply hurt by false accusations of dishonesty.
He recalled that BJP had jailed five AAP leaders, including himself, Manish Sisodia, Satyendra Jain, Vijay Nair, and Sanjay Singh, in an attempt to weaken the party’s position. Despite pressure, none of the leaders joined BJP, demonstrating their resolve. Kejriwal added that he was imprisoned for 150 days, while Sisodia remained behind bars for over 500 days, even as his wife was critically ill.
Kejriwal said that the court’s 600-page judgement cleared all accusations, stating there was no prima facie evidence or witness against AAP leaders. He noted that the judge directed that the CBI officer who filed the case should face action, marking a first in such proceedings.
Drawing a parallel with mythology, he said the party had endured hardships similar to Sita Mata’s “Agneepariksha” after returning to Ayodhya. He reiterated that AAP is an honest party that faced false accusations orchestrated to undermine its credibility, alleging that the case was conceived by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to strengthen BJP’s position in Delhi.
Leaders present at the public meeting included Delhi Leader of Opposition Atishi and AAP Goa President Valmiki Naik, who felicitated Kejriwal following the court verdict. Kejriwal concluded by thanking the common people, stating that truth and justice prevailed despite attempts to suppress the aspirations of the people.
