Kejriwal walks out of jail; Opposition welcomes release, BJP says CM not proven "innocent"

New Delhi [India], May 10 : As Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal walks out of jail after spending 50 days in Tihar, opposition parties across the country welcomed the Supreme Court's decision while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said that the CM has not been proven "innocent".
CM Kejriwal receieved a warm welcome from supporters as well as his family members on returning from prison.
Kejriwal was released from jail after spending over 50 days following his arrest by the Directorate of Enforcement on March 21, 2024, in connection with the Delhi excise policy case. He has been granted interim bail till June 1 with conditions that he shall not visit the Office of the Chief Minister or the Delhi Secretariat.
"I had promised to come back soon, here I am," Kejriwal said while addressing supporters enroute his residence from jail.
"I want to thank all of you. Crores and crores of people across the country prayed for me. I want to thank the Supreme Court because of whom I'm standing here with you. I just have one request to make with all of you we should together save the country from dictatorship. I'm fighting and protesting against dictatorship with everything I have. But the 140 crore people have to fight against dictatorship," he added.
The Chief Minister is also scheduled to meet the press on Saturday at 1 pm at the Aam Aadmi Party office in Delhi.
AAP leaders including Gopal Rai, Atishi, Saurabh Bhardwaj, Swati Maliwal and Kailash Gehlot thanked the top court for granting interim bail to the party chief.
Delhi Minister and AAP leader Gopal Rai said, "There is a wave of happiness in the entire country. SC's decision has shown a ray of hope. The entire country is thankful to the SC. The fight against dictatorship and to save democracy and constitution will be strengthened after the release of Arvind Kejriwal."
Delhi Minister and AAP leader Atishi called it a "historic day" and said that it is a victory for democracy and the Constitution. "It is a historic day, not just for AAP but the entire country. BJP has left no stone unturned to turn it into a dictatorial country...SC's decision has given hope to the people that there will be an end to this dictatorship. It is a win of the democracy & constitution," Atishi said.
AAP leader and Delhi Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj said that CM Kejriwal's release will prove to be a "game-changer" for the opposition coalition, INDIA bloc.
"Not just party workers, but millions of people in the country were waiting for Arvind Kejriwal's release. Arvind Kejriwal's release will prove to be a game-changer for the entire INDIA alliance," the AAP leader said.
"The first mistake made by the BJP was to arrest Arvind Kejriwal, and this proved to be loss-making for the BJP in the elections. Ever since his arrest, Arvind Kejriwal managed to stay in the narrative of our country. He has been granted bail for election campaigning," he added.
"On behalf of the people of the country, I wholeheartedly thank the Supreme Court. Arvind Kejriwal ji did amazing work in Delhi and Punjab. Today when he has been released from jail, there is a wave of happiness and hope in the entire country which will translate into votes. We will win with a huge margin," AAP MP Swati Maliwal.
Delhi Minister and AAP leader Kailash Gahlot said, "I thank the Supreme Court (SC) for giving justice and the SC also observed that Lok Sabha elections come once in 5 years and it is important for a party chief that he should go among the people and put forward his views. This is the victory of truth."
Punjab AAP leader Balbir Singh said, "There is a wave of happiness among our party workers now. I thank the Supreme Court for this judgement. The people of Punjab are ready to give a befitting reply with their votes."
Responding to CM Kejriwal's release, Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge, "He was arrested at the time of elections and now the court has given this relief. Hope the government will not make such a mistake in the future."
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor also responded calling it a "good development."
"I consider this to be a good development. I feel personally it should have happened even sooner. There was no justification to arrest a sitting chief minister who is the leader of a national opposition party during an election campaign. They were conducting an ongoing investigation. They could have pursued it after June 4. They had no reason to do it during a campaign," Tharoor said.
"I'm glad the Supreme Court saw the same logic and gave him bail. But I might add, that they could have even acted on this sooner. I'm sorry it took so long because for many weeks CM Kejriwal has been unable to campaign for his party and of course in Delhi for our alliance," he added.
"We welcome the intervention by the Supreme Court in granting interim bail to Arvind Kejriwal. We hope that the former chief minister of Jharkhand Hemant Soren also gets due justice," Congress leader Pawan Khera said.
Congress leader Salman Khurshid said, "Arvind Kejriwal has been granted bail by the Supreme Court after putting in a lot of thought. He is our partner. But we will see what happens later."
Telangana Minister and Congress leader Uttam Kumar Reddy said, "Democratic forces in the country will rejoice over SC granting bail to Arvind Kejriwal. I hope that in these matters of personal liberties, SC should intervene decisively in a similar manner in all other cases where the BJP has jailed opposition leaders in a politically vindictive manner."
Congress leader Harish Rawat said, "This is a victory of democracy and proves that there is justice in the country. I want to thank the court. The atmosphere of change created by Rahul Gandhi will be further strengthened by this decision."
Rajya Sabha MP and senior Supreme Court Advocate Kapil Sibal, "Yesterday, ED presented its side before the Supreme Court and said that Arvind Kejriwal should not be granted interim bail because the right to campaign is a legal right, not a Constitutional right. It is correct. But the law also provides that if someone has been awarded punishment and the court says that they are staying the punishment, he can take part in campaigning. Ask them how Hardik Patel contested the election. Hardik Patel was convicted, High Court stayed it. Hardik approached the Supreme Court and the Court stayed it. Hardik contested the election and joined the BJP. Someone, against whom you have evidence and punishment, has the right (to campaign) if the court stays it. But someone who is just an accused can't be given the stay. What kind of politics is ED doing?."
PDP President Mehbooba Mufti welcomed the top court's decision and said that she was happy. "I am happy that Arvind Kejriwal got interim bail. These days blind rule is prevailing in the country. Anyone can be put in jail and it takes so much time to get bail, this is very bad," Mufti said.
CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat also welcomed the decision and called it a "tight slap" on the face of ED and central government.
"We welcome this decision of the Supreme Court. SC's decision is a tight slap on the face of ED & central government. The central government has used ED as a political agency against the opposition party. When you arrest an elected CM what kind of level playing field is it?" Brinda Karat said.
"It is a blow on the face of Narendra Modi and the BJP government," CPI MP Binoy Viswam said adding, "For months, they tried to tarnish the image of the Delhi CM. This court verdict is a verdict in the right direction. The democratic traditions of our country would certainly welcome it and this is going to give momentum to the INDIA alliance."
"This is a political setback for the authoritarian political style of the BJP. All these cases are bogus. They have nothing to do with the truth. All of them are politically motivated. This verdict says that the Supreme Court stands in the favour of truth, not in the favour of political autocracy," Binoy Viswam said.
TMC leader Shantanu Sen said, "At the beginning of the year, then CM of Jharkhand Hemant Soren was arrested because of BJP. After the schedule was declared by the EC on March 16, Delhi re-elected CM & INDIA alliance's Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by ED. The kingpin of liquor scams is Sharad Reddy. This is the same Sharad Reddy who had given Rs 5 crore to the BJP in the name of the electoral bond. This is a clear-cut political vendetta. We are very happy today."
BJP leaders criticised the opposition and said that CM Kejriwal is not proven innocent but is out on bail till June 1.
Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva said, "He has been granted bail for the election campaign till June 1 but what after that? Getting interim bail does not mean that you have been proven innocent. It will not affect the elections, BJP will win all 7 seats of Delhi."
BJP leader Shazia Ilmi said, "Now at least Kejriwal will not be able to play the victim card. Now he will not be able to say that he is being discriminated against and will learn to respect the democratic system of the country. He has got interim protection, he has not been released and he will have to go back on June 2."
BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa said, "It is clear from the Supreme Court judgement that he has been granted bail for elections only. He will have to go back to jail after June 1."
"Every side has put their evidence before the Supreme Court. The advocate of Delhi CM has put forward his arguments, and the investigating agencies have also put forward their arguments. The world knows that the Indian judicial system is completely fair and impartial. The other accused persons in the case have not been granted bail. It shows that the investigation of the agencies is factual," BJP leader Dinesh Sharma said.
Kejriwal's counterparts in Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Assam also criticised his bail.
Rajasthan CM Bhajanlal Sharma said, "I want to say that a new chapter of corruption is being written in the country. They came in the name of removing corruption and themselves got drowned in it."
"No respectable person will accept this bail. What kind of bail is this that you can go but come back on June 2," Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami said, "We respect the decision of the Supreme Court. But the agencies are doing their job regarding the allegations and action will be taken on it."
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nipuram said, "Instead of jail or bail, first he should be removed from the CM post. How can an accused run the government from jail?"
Supreme Court lawyer Shadan Farasat representing Arvind Kejriwal said that the order is operable till June 2 adding that there are no restrictions on what he can say or not say in his election campaigning.
Earlier in April this year, AAP MP Sanjay Singh was released on bail from Tihar jail following the top court's order. Singh was released after spending over six months in jail in connection with the excise policy case.
The AAP supremo is likely to participate in the election campaigns of the party in the run-up to the general elections in Delhi scheduled to be held on May 25.