NEW DELHI: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) finance and education minister Atishi, an Oxford University alumna who’s been the pillar for Arvind Kejriwal, on Thursday insisted that he would not resign and continue to hold the post of chief minister, minutes after Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested him in the liquor policy probe.
“Kejriwal won’t resign from his position. He was elected as CM of his party. He would continue to remain so in future” Atishi told The New Indian.
She added that AAP has moved the Supreme Court to quash the arrest warrant by ED even as Delhi high court ruled out any protection from coercive action by the ED on Kejriwal.
Atishi also said that her party had anticipated this move in December but was shocked that the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls cut no ice on the Modi government in arresting Kejriwal to scuttle the chances of the performance of INDIA alliance that comprises Congress, CPI, SP, AAP, RJD, DMK, PDP, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction) and National Congress Party (NCP- Sharad Pawar).
“The way paramilitary forces were deployed, we were anticipating this move. It’s a clear case of vendetta and frame-up by the Modi government. ED has so far not recovered even a 25 paisa in this case. PM Narendra Modi fears Arvind Kejriwal as he never bowed down before him,” Atishi said.
Atishi also said this move coincided with the onset of the Lok Sabha elections, keeping in with the growing popularity of Kejriwal in several states.
Later, Delhi health minister Saurabh Bhardwaj said that senior Congress leaders were arriving at Delhi CMR to protest against the arrest.