दिल्ली के मुख्यमंत्री अरविंद केजरीवाल ने शुक्रवार को कहा कि वह 10 मई को सर्वोच्च न्यायालय द्वारा उन्हें दी गई अंतरिम जमानत की अवधि पूरी होने पर रविवार को आत्मसमर्पण करेंगे। उन्होंने कहा कि उन्हें गर्व है कि वह देश को तानाशाही से बचाने के लिए जेल जा रहे हैं।
केजरीवाल को प्रवर्तन निदेशालय ने 21 मार्च को दिल्ली आबकारी नीति 2021-2022 मामले से संबंधित मनी लॉन्ड्रिंग जांच में गिरफ्तार किया था। उन्हें 1 अप्रैल को न्यायिक हिरासत में तिहाड़ जेल भेज दिया गया था। सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने आम आदमी पार्टी के नेता को लोकसभा चुनाव के लिए प्रचार करने के लिए 10 मई को अंतरिम जमानत दी थी। अदालत ने केजरीवाल को 2 जून को अधिकारियों के सामने आत्मसमर्पण करने का निर्देश दिया था।
केजरीवाल ने एक वीडियो संदेश में कहा, “मैं परसों आत्मसमर्पण कर दूंगा, मैं दोपहर करीब 3 बजे आत्मसमर्पण करने के लिए अपने घर से निकलूंगा। हो सकता है कि इस बार वे मुझे ज़्यादा प्रताड़ित करें, लेकिन मैं झुकूंगा नहीं।”
केजरीवाल ने कहा, “सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने मुझे चुनाव प्रचार के लिए 21 दिन का समय दिया था। कल (1 जून) 21 दिन पूरे हो जाएंगे, मुझे परसों (2 जून) को सरेंडर करना है। मैं परसों तिहाड़ जेल वापस जाऊंगा। मुझे नहीं पता कि इस बार ये लोग मुझे कितने दिन जेल में रखेंगे। लेकिन मेरा हौसला बुलंद है। मुझे गर्व है कि मैं देश को तानाशाही से बचाने के लिए जेल जा रहा हूं। उन्होंने मुझे कई तरह से तोड़ने की कोशिश की, मुझे झुकाने की कोशिश की, मुझे चुप कराने की कोशिश की। लेकिन वे सफल नहीं हुए।”
अपनी स्वास्थ्य स्थिति का हवाला देते हुए दिल्ली के मुख्यमंत्री ने कहा कि उन्हें कई तरह से “जेल में प्रताड़ित किया गया” और इसके लिए अप्रत्यक्ष रूप से भारतीय जनता पार्टी को जिम्मेदार ठहराया। [BJP[ stopped my medicines. I have been a diabetes patient for the last 20 years. For the last 10 years, I have been getting insulin injections daily. But in jail, they stopped my insulin injections for many days, and my sugar levels reached 300, 325 mg/dL. If the sugar remains so high for so many days, then the kidney and liver gets damaged. I don’t know what these people wanted, why did they do this?” Kejriwal said.
Kejriwal’s message came a day before the last phase of polling for the general elections on June 1, in which all 13 seats of Punjab are going to polls. The AAP, which is the ruling party in Punjab, is contesting 13 seats. In 2019 polls, the AAP had won one seat of the 13 that it contested.
“When I went to jail, my weight was 70 kg. Today, it is 64 kg. Even after being released from jail, my weight is not increasing. Doctors are saying that this can also be a sign of some major disease. Many tests need to be done, ketone levels in my urine has also increased a lot,” Kejriwal said in the video address.
The Delhi CM moved a pair of bail applications in Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court on Thursday. In the first bail application Kejriwal sought regular bail and in the second he sought interim bail for seven days on medical grounds. AAP has said that Arvind Kejriwal has suffered unexplained weight loss during his incarceration and his ketones levels are high which could be signs of critical illness and that he needs bail to undergo multiple health tests suggested by doctors.
The Delhi CM also assured the people that all facilities such as free electricity, water and free bus rides for women will continue even in his absence.“Wherever I am, inside or outside the jail, I will not let the work of Delhi stop. Your free electricity, Mohalla clinics, hospitals, free medicines, treatment, free bus travel for women, 24 hour electricity and all other work will continue. After returning from jail, I will also start giving ₹1,000 every month to every mother and sister,” Kejriwal said.
He also appealed to the people to pray for the health of his parents. “…my parents are very old, my mother is very ill, I worry a lot about her in jail. Take care of my parents after I am gone, pray for them. Prayers have great power. If you pray for my mother daily, she will definitely remain healthy,” Kejriwal said.
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said Kejriwal is suffering from a “serious illness of lying”. “Pretending to be sick and seeking sympathy is his nature, and the people of Delhi and Punjab understand this. If Arvind Kejriwal was really so sick, then how did he engage in political tourism and election campaigning? Regarding the increase in level of ketones in his urine, it actually occurs due to drinking less water in the heat. So, it seems like he is inviting diseases himself so that he can show his illness to the medical board. The court is doing its job and there is a medical team there which will check him as well,” Sachdeva said.