AAP Protests President’s Address After Arvind Kejriwal’s Arrest
After Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was sent to three days’ CBI remand by the Rouse Avenue Court in the Delhi Excise Policy case, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) announced that its MPs would boycott President Droupadi Murmu’s address to the joint sitting of Parliament on Thursday. This will be the first presidential address after the formation of the third National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government.
Following the President’s address, a motion of thanks will be moved in both Houses of Parliament, which will be discussed by the members. AAP leader Sandeep Pathak said that the President and the Constitution are supreme and when dictatorship is done in the name of justice, it is important to raise voices. “Today we will protest in the Rajya Sabha against the arrest of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and we will boycott the President’s address. The President and the Constitution are supreme and when dictatorship is done in the name of justice, it is important to raise our voices,” he said.
When asked whether other parties of the INDIA bloc will also protest in the Rajya Sabha, Pathak said, “We did not have a discussion with the remaining parties of the INDIA alliance regarding this but our party will boycott the President’s address”.
Meanwhile, the Rouse Avenue Court of Delhi on Wednesday sent Kejriwal to three days CBI remand in connection with the Excise policy case. Vacation Judge Amitabh Rawat after taking note of all the submissions of both sides, allowed Arvind Kejriwal to be on CBI remand till June 29, 2024. During the remand period, the court allowed Kejriwal’s wife, Sunita Kejriwal, to meet him for 30 minutes and his lawyer to meet him every day for 30 minutes. The court has also allowed him to carry his prescribed medicines during the remand period.
During the hearing, Arvind Kejriwal himself addressed the court and said, “CBI is claiming that I have made a statement against Manish Sisodia, which is completely false. Manish Sisodia Nirdosh hai, Aam Aadmi Party Nirdosh hai. Main bhi nirdosh hun. Iss Tarah ke statements hamme media me badnam Karne ke liye diye ja rahe hai (Manish Sisodia is innocent, Aam Aadmi Party is innocent. I am also innocent. statements are being given in the media to defame us.)” He also added “CBI sources ke hawale se media me hamme badnam kar rahe rahe hai. Inka plan hai ki media front page ye chala de ki Kejriwal ne sara thikra Manish Sisodia pe daal diya. (They are tarnishing our image in the media by using unnamed sources. They plan to make it headline news that Kejriwal has shifted all the blame to Manish Sisodia.)”
However, the Court said,” I have read your statement… you have not said this.” The Delhi High Court on Tuesday stayed Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s bail order passed by the trial court, saying that the trial court should have at least recorded its satisfaction with the fulfilment of twin conditions of Section 45 of the Prevention of the Money Laundering Act (PMLA) before passing the impugned order.
