Aam Aadmi Party’s Rajya Sabha lawmaker Sanjay Singh was released on bail on Wednesday to a massive welcome by party workers after he spent six months in jail in connection with the Delhi excise policy case. The development came as a relief for AAP, whose senior leaders, including party convener and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, and Satyendar Jain, are still in judicial custody.
Singh in an exclusive interview with CNN-News18 spoke about how he endured his time in prison, what the future holds for him and AAP, and if Arvind Kejriwal would remain Delhi CM. Edited excerpts:
Where did you get the mental strength?
Books are a great source of support. And when I have time to spare, I read a lot of books. I read Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Rajguru, Shaheed Ashfaqullah, and many other revolutionaries. I got a lot of strength from these. And I felt that their contribution to making India independent, South Africa independent, is so much more than anything we have done. This Aam Aadmi Party is born out of the womb of a movement. Each worker is standing with our leader Arvind Kejriwal ji with ten times more resolve. You picked up the chief minister of Delhi and put him behind bars, someone who has been elected by the two crore people of Delhi? Someone who works for the education of their children, issues of electricity and water, pilgrimage for the elderly. You picked up such a leader and threw him inside jail, and you think that we will sit quietly at home? This is not going to happen. We will fight them with even greater confidence.
The opposition is asking this question again and again, like you said that AAP is born out of the womb of a movement. Anti-corruption is its big plank. When Arvind ji was an activist, he laid into a lot of leaders, particularly from the UPA, alleging that they were corrupt. So, today, why is he not resigning?
So, you tell me…just two false cases have to be filed. This is a very easy job for the BJP and the ED. This is a very easy job. Tomorrow, file two false cases against Bhagwant Mann and then pick him up, throw him inside jail, and demand his resignation. Do the same with Mamata Banerjee and then demand her resignation. You have already filed cases against Vijayan, Stalin, Revanth Reddy, Siddaraimaiah, Champai Soren, Hemant Soren. Just file two false cases and throw them into jail and then demand their resignation. So, you will finish the entire opposition in the country. That is the intention of the BJP. We have nothing to learn from them, they are the murderers of democracy, they are the country’s dictators (tanashah). We will remove them from the country. ‘Jail ka jawab vote se denge’. The people of Delhi have elected Arvind Kejriwal. The two crore people of Delhi have given their janadesh to Kejriwal ji. He has not been elected because of any mercy shown by the BJP. Remember this. And he is running a very good government.
On Wednesday, we saw a lot of enthusiasm and energy in the party. We have also seen that there is great acceptability for you within the party. Delhi’s lieutenant governor has already said that the government will not run from jail. If a situation arises where the chief minister is forced to resign, who would the next chief minister: you or Sunita Kejriwal?
Are you saying that the architect of the Constitution is Vinai Saxena? As far as I know, it is Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar. Who is he to say whether Kejriwal will or will not run the government from jail, will or will not stay as chief minister? It is Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar who is the architect of the Constitution, not Vinai Saxena. And he has written that as long as allegations are not proven, no leader has to resign. This is written in our Constitution. The High Court has dismissed petitions (challenging Kejriwal continuing as CM) twice. I have already said. If in any opposition state cases are filed against the Prime Minister, he has no immunity. Will he resign?
The High Court has also said that this is chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s personal decision. However, sometimes personal interest has to be subservient to national interest…
Who is harming the national interest? It is the BJP. If you jail an elected chief minister and harass him, the time has come for all the opposition to unite and give a fitting reply to the BJP.
That means Arvind Kejriwal will continue as chief minister? There is no alternative to Arvind Kejriwal? Not you? Not Sunita Kejriwal?
Arvind Kejriwal is the elected chief minister of Delhi. He has been elected by two crore people of Delhi. You, me are no one to raise questions on that. And, we don’t have to take lessons in morality from the BJP. When the BJP speaks about corruption it is like Osama bin Laden talking about Ahimsa. The BJP is Bangaru Janata Party. Their National President has been convicted on corruption charges.
So many of your leaders are in jail.,.There is a leadership vacuum. What will be your specific role?
I have been a karyakarta of the Aam Aadmi Party since the very beginning. I will abide by the party’s instructions whatever they may be.
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