Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal getting interim bail from the Supreme Court after he challenged his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate is “not less than a miracle”, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Saurabh Bharadwaj told reporters today.
Mr Kejriwal can campaign for the Lok Sabha elections, but has to surrender before the jail authorities on June 2 as the interim bail is valid only till June 1. Votes will be counted on June 4.
“Getting interim bail in 40 days is more than a miracle. Through the Supreme Court, it is a hint from god that whatever is happening in India, a change is needed. Arvind Kejriwal has the blessings of Lord Bajrangbali, and today he will come out of jail. I think it’s not an ordinary thing. He is coming out of jail for a big purpose,” Mr Bharadwarj, flanked by AAP leaders Gopal Rai and Atishi, told reporters.
The AAP said the Supreme Court order is essentially a pushback against a “constitutional threat”.
The parties in the Opposition bloc INDIA have long been accusing the BJP-led central government of using central agencies to harass rivals with false cases.
Once out of jail, Mr Kejriwal will join the INDIA bloc’s election campaigns, though voting in three of the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections is over.
A Bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta said a detailed order explaining why the Supreme Court decided to give interim bail to Mr Kejriwal will be made available later today.
On Thursday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had opposed the interim relief on the grounds that a politician cannot claim a “special status” higher than that of any other citizen, and is as much liable to be arrested and detained for offences as any other citizen.
No political leader has been given interim bail for campaigning, although Mr Kejriwal is not the contesting candidate, the ED said in its affidavit. Even a contesting candidate is never granted interim bail for campaigning if the person is in custody, the ED said.
Mr Kejriwal had gone to the Supreme Court to challenge the Delhi High Court’s April 10 judgment, which dismissed his petition challenging his arrest by the ED.
He was arrested on March 21.
