The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday placed a photoshopped image of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal — currently lodged in Tihar jail — between the images of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh and BR Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution, at the CM’s official residence. The decision triggered a political row, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accusing the AAP of “insulting” national heroes.
The placement of the photoshopped image — that shows Kejriwal behind bars — came to light on Thursday, when the chief minister’s wife Sunita Kejriwal in a video read out a message from her husband to AAP workers.
Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said the move has “shamed” Delhi.
“By placing the picture of Arvind Kejriwal, accused of corruption between the portraits of great personalities, Sunita Kejriwal has ashamed the people of Delhi,” he said.
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“Sunita Kejriwal has insulted Bhagat Singh and BR Ambedkar by using the photo of Arvind Kejriwal, who is in jail for orchestrating the Delhi liquor scam, alongside the photos of the freedom fighter (Bhagat Singh) and constitution architect (BR Ambedkar). Arvind Kejriwal is accused of receiving kickbacks in the excise scam,” Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva added.
Responding to the BJP’s remarks, the AAP said that Kejriwal has been arrested on “fabricated allegations”.
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Kejriwal is the symbol of the struggle against the BJP’s dictatorship. That is why the photos of Kejriwal are a reminder that the ongoing struggle is no less compared to the freedom struggle,” senior AAP leader and Delhi minister Atishi said.
Kejriwal was arrested by Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21 in connection with a money laundering probe pertaining to alleged irregularities in the Delhi excise policy 2021-22. A day after his arrest, the chief minister was sent to ED custody for six days, which was further extended by four days on March 28.
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On April 1, a Delhi court remanded Kejriwal to judicial custody till April 15, noting ED’s contention that his release could hamper the investigation. Following the court order, the AAP convener was transferred to jail number 2 in the Tihar prison complex in the evening.
Kejriwal and the AAP have categorically dismissed the allegations, calling them “politically motivated” and filed at the behest of the Union government.
