‘ED has two motives — to create a smokescreen to crush AAP and build an extortion racket,’ says Arvind Kejriwal

Earlier, Kejriwal, when asked about Lt Governor V K Saxena’s remark that the state government will not be run from jail, said “it was a political conspiracy and that the people of Delhi will give a befitting reply.”

Responding to a question at the Times Now Summit in New Delhi, Saxena had said on Wednesday, “I can assure the people of Delhi that the government will not be run from jail.”

Earlier in the day, the Delhi High Court had dismissed a PIL seeking the removal of the AAP from the post of chief minister. A bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan refused to comment on the merits of the issue, saying the same fell outside the scope of judicial interference.

VIDEO | “This is a political conspiracy, the public will give a befitting reply,” says Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) in response to a media query on Delhi L-G VK Saxena’s ‘government cannot run from jail’ remark.

Kejriwal has been brought to Rouse Avenue Court in… pic.twitter.com/q7n2zYuHKb

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 28, 2024

Following Kejriwal’s arrest last week by the ED in connection with its probe into the Delhi excise policy case, the AAP said that he will not step down as Chief Minister and, if need be, will run the government from jail.

From ED custody, Kejriwal issued two “directions” to Water Minister Atishi and Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, one asking that complaints regarding water and sewer be addressed and the second asking that medicines be made available in all mohalla clinics in the city.

On Tuesday, BJP national secretary Manjinder Singh Sirsa filed a complaint with the Lt Governor against Kejriwal, asking how had the letterhead of the Delhi government been “fabricated” to create an order by him.