Kejriwal’s resignation while on bail sparks political debate

New Delhi, Sep 15 (IANS) AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal’s resignation while on bail has sparked a massive political debate. Some say that he should have resigned in jail to avoid the hardships caused to the people, but his supporters claim that he did this right.

Kejriwal’s resignation came two days after the Supreme Court gave him bail, which also set conditions for his work as the CM.

The Apex Court said he could not visit his office at the secretariat and sign any official file. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan retained only two bail conditions that he shall remain present before the trial court on each and every date of hearing unless exempted and fully cooperate in the expeditious conclusion of the trial.

In July this year, the top court referred to a larger bench Kejriwal’s other plea challenging his arrest and subsequent remand by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the money laundering case linked to an alleged liquor policy scam. It had asked Kejriwal to take a call on stepping down from Delhi Chief Minister’s post. A bench headed by Justice Sanjeev Khanna had said, “We are conscious that Arvind Kejriwal is an elected leader and the Chief Minister of Delhi, a post holding importance and influence. We have also referred to the allegations. While we do not give any direction, since we are doubtful whether the court can direct an elected leader to step down or not function as the Chief Minister or as a Minister, we leave it to Arvind Kejriwal to take a call.”

Kejriwal did take the call and decided not to resign then. But, on Sunday, in a surprise move, he announced that he would be stepping down in two days.

The BJP was quick to react, saying that Kejriwal did this because he could not go to the CM’s office or sign any file.

“The Supreme Court has said in the order that he cannot go near the CM’s chair and cannot sign any files. Hence, he had no option… He has been forced to resign because of the SC order. The people gave their verdict three months ago when he asked ‘jail or bail’, and he lost all seven …, said BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa.

Delhi Congress President Devender Yadav while welcoming Kejriwal’s decision to resign questioned the two-day delay in doing so.

“We will welcome Kejriwal’s decision. It is a good move, even though a bit late. But I don’t understand why he is waiting two days to resign. If you have to resign, you should do it immediately. We have been demanding better administration, and the government cannot be run from jail,” he further said.

AAP’s National Spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar defended Kejriwal’s move and said that he has set a new benchmark of honesty. “He will sit on the CM’s chair only when the people of Delhi will elect him again…,” she said.

BJP leader Harish Khurana said, “This is a drama… The people are asking you if the court has given a verdict that you can’t go to the Secretariat, you cannot sign a file, then what is your justification to be in the CM position?… You are a CM on bail…”

Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit said, “…We have been saying for a long time that he should resign as the CM… This is a mere gimmick. This happened for the first time when an elected leader came out of jail on bail, and was asked by the SC to not go to the CM office or sign official papers… Such conditions were never imposed on any other CM… There is no correlation between morality and Arvind Kejriwal.”

BJP leader Kapil Mishra, who once was a minister in Kejriwal’s cabinet before leaving the AAP, said, “Finally, a corrupt chief minister is being forced to leave his seat.”

He claimed it was a big win for the people of Delhi and a day to celebrate.

Mishra added, “We had said that the corrupt Arvind Kejriwal would have to resign. He is the second Chief Minister in Delhi who has had to step down because of corruption. First, it was Sheila Dikshit, and now it’s Kejriwal’s turn. This is the same person who was not ready to resign even if he was jailed and had said he would run the government from prison. But today, the Supreme Court has taken action, and Kejriwal is being forced to resign and leave his seat.”

Earlier in the day, Kejriwal during a party meeting announced that he would resign from the top post after two days.

Kejriwal said that he did not resign in jail as he wanted to protect the Constitution. “I did not resign from the jail because I wanted to protect the Constitution of India. I wanted to fail their formula… The SC asked the Central government why a government cannot run from the jail… the SC proved that a government can run from jail…”

–IANS

dpb/