Delhi ministers slam AAP chief's 'Satyagraha' in liquor case, says Kejriwal trying to delay judicial process

New Delhi, April 28 (IANS) Delhi ministers hit out at former Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday for allegedly showing a lack of trust in the judiciary and expressing fears of bias against a High Court judge in connection with the Delhi liquor policy corruption case. 

The sharp reactions came after Kejriwal announced a 'Satyagraha' — invoking Mahatma Gandhi's tradition of non-violent protest — against what he described as a biased judicial process in the case.

Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra launched a scathing critique, invoking Mahatma Gandhi to target the AAP chief. He told IANS, "If Gandhi ji were alive today, he would be chasing Kejriwal with a stick. A thief, a commission-seeker, a person involved in a liquor scam, is talking about Satyagraha and invoking Gandhi's name. And what moral authority does a thief have to decide who the judge will be? This doesn't happen anywhere in the world."

Mishra further said that Kejriwal filed a petition in court; the verdict did not go in his favour, and now he is refusing to accept the decision. "This is not how the justice system works. Kejriwal knows he is trapped — he committed corruption and is trying to delay the investigation. But in the end, he will be proven guilty and will go to jail," he added.

Another Delhi Minister, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, also criticised the AAP leader, saying, "Now those who committed the liquor scam will do Satyagraha?"

Echoing similar sentiments, MLA Harish Khurana accused AAP of having an "urban naxalite" mindset, saying the party only accepts judicial verdicts when they are favorable. "If a judge gives a verdict in their favour, then he is a great judge, and they say 'Satyamev Jayate.' But if a judge makes any remark against them, then there is no worse judge than him. Today, they are leveling allegations to show they have no faith in the justice system. This deserves the strongest condemnation possible," Khurana said.

Another MLA, Ajay Mahawar, drew a sharp contrast between Gandhi's legacy and Kejriwal's alleged actions. "Gandhi ji was strongly against alcohol. He used to say that those who fall victim to intoxication see their home and family destroyed. And this man turned the entire Delhi into a liquor shop, ran scams, and made money — and that same man is talking about Mahatma Gandhi," Mahawar said.

"This shameless, hypocritical man — that is why the people of Delhi have thrown him out, and Punjab is about to throw him out too," he added.

The remarks came amid ongoing legal and political developments related to the Delhi excise policy case, in which central agencies have alleged irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the policy. Kejriwal, who was arrested and later granted bail in the case, has consistently denied all wrongdoing and called the case politically motivated.

Kejriwal’s recent statements and legal moves have triggered a fresh confrontation between the ruling dispensation in Delhi and the opposition, with the issue once again bringing governance, accountability, and the role of institutions into sharp political focus.

As the matter continues to unfold in courts, the political slugfest is expected to intensify further in the coming days.

--IANS

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