Congratulating workers on getting the status of โnational partyโ, AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday defended jailed leaders Manish Sisodia and Satyender Jain while renewing his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the latterโs educational qualifications.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has been granted the status of a โnational partyโ by the Election Commission of India, ten years after its formation. Kejriwal described the achievement as a dream coming true.
In a speech given to party workers in Delhi, Kejriwal defended Sisodia and Jain, saying that they had done nothing wrong and were the victims of anti-national forces while praising their efforts to help poor children and to treat everyone for free.
He described both former ministers as disciples of Bhagat Singh, the Indian revolutionary socialist who fought against British colonialism.
โAnti-national forces are trying to stop AAPโs march.. Manish Sisodia and Satyender Jain are honest people, they are fighting a battle and they will come out of the jail soon,โ he told party workers.
The AAP chief said that that education for the children of the poor should be better than that given to the children of the rich. He emphasized the importance of initiatives such as the Mohalla Clinic, electricity, and water supply, which have helped the party gain power in Punjab and have led to AAP MLAs being elected in Goa and Gujarat.
Kejriwal urged party members to stay committed to their cause and to be prepared to go to jail if necessary. He said that the partyโs success was a sign that โGod wants us to do something for the countryโ and that anti-national forces were trying to stop AAP from building schools and hospitals.
The AAP chief ended his speech by saying that he was โon this journeyโ and that anyone who was โgreedy for power or moneyโ should leave the party. He thanked party workers, voters, and critics for their contributions to the partyโs success.
On Monday evening, the Election Commission declared AAP as a national party saying that it met the requirements of Para 6B (iii), which mandates recognition as a state party in at least four states based on electoral performance. The party has fulfilled this condition by gaining recognition as a state party in four states, namely Delhi, Goa, Punjab, and most recently, Gujarat.
