 "What's on Arvind Kejriwal's to-do list as he is set to walk out of Tihar jail?")
Arvind Kejriwal’s wait for bail finally came to an end on Friday.
The Supreme Court granted the Delhi chief minister interim bail till 1 June to campaign in the Lok Sabha polls.
Votes are set to be counted on 4 June.
“Arvind Kejriwal does not have any criminal antecedents and he is not a threat to the society,” the apex court said while announcing its order.
Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in March in connection with the alleged Delhi liquor excise policy scam.
The Aam Aadmi Party hailed the bail granted to its leader as a ‘victory of truth,’ while several Opposition leaders including West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee also praised the apex court verdict.
But what will Kejriwal do next?
Let’s take a closer look:
The Aam Aadmi Party has asked its Delhi MLAs, councillors and workers to reach Tihar to “welcome” Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal after his release from jail on interim bail, according to party leader Gopal Rai.
“The Aam Aadmi Party has asked Delhi MLAs, councillors and workers to reach Tihar Jail to welcome Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who will soon be released,” Rai told PTI.
Security has been tightened up outside the Tihar Prison complex in anticipation of a huge gathering for Kejriwal’s release from judicial custody on interim bail.
The AAP workers who have reached the spot have already begun to celebrate.
Impact Shorts
More Shorts#WATCH | Delhi: AAP workers distribute sweets as they celebrate outside the Tihar jail.
— ANI (@ANI) May 10, 2024
CM Kejriwal will be released from Tihar jail today after the Supreme Court granted him interim bail till June 1. pic.twitter.com/3ESnKz5u8p
Kejriwal’s wife Sunita wrote on X, “This is the victory of democracy. It is the result of the prayers and blessings of millions of people. Many thanks to everyone.”
Sunita is also heading to Tihar jail to welcome her husband.
#WATCH | Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's wife Sunita Kejriwal along with their daughter leaves from CM's residence for Tihar Jail.
— ANI (@ANI) May 10, 2024
The CM was granted interim bail by the Supreme Court till June 1. pic.twitter.com/B2CAM3yF4s
Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday reached Tihar jail to receive Kejriwal.
#WATCH | Delhi: Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann reaches Tihar jail to receive CM Arvind Kejriwal
— ANI (@ANI) May 10, 2024
CM Kejriwal will be released from Tihar jail today after the Supreme Court granted him interim bail till June 1. pic.twitter.com/c6KzAbRgJz
Mann said they will now fight the battle to save democracy with more intensity.
In a post on X, he said, “Thanks to the Supreme Court… now we will fight the battle to save democracy with more intensity… Arvind Kejriwal is not a person but a thought…and now will take this thought forward with greater momentum.”
News18 reported that the Delhi chief minister will head to CM House after being released from Tihar jail.
Sources told NDTV that Kejriwal will campaign all over the country for the AAP and the India bloc.
The outlet quoted party leader Saurabh Bharadwaj as saying, “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.”
Opposition leaders celebrate
Congress leader Pawan Khera hoped former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren also gets due justice.
“We welcome the intervention by the Supreme Court in granting bail to Arvind Kejriwal…We also hope that the prime minister gets enough time after June 4, when he becomes the former prime minister of India, to introspect sitting in Sabarmati Ashram the kind of politics he has indulged in,” he said.
West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee also welcomed the Supreme Court order, saying “I am very happy to see that Shri Arvind Kejriwal has got interim bail. It will be very helpful in the context of the current elections.”
Sharad Pawar, who heads the NCP (SP), said the country remains steadfast in the pursuit of democracy.
“I welcome the interim bail order granted to the chief minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal by the SC. India remains steadfast in the pursuit of democracy,” Pawar wrote on X.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi called it a “big win” for Kejriwal.
“And big win for Arvind Kejriwal ji as SC steps in to grant him interim bail. The bid to silence the opposition by BJP is backfiring on them. We Won’t be silenced, won’t bend, won’t give in come what may. Bharat is watching, India is winning! Jai Hind!” she wrote on X.
Another Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray said justice and relief to Kejriwal against the “dictatorial regime” in the country was a huge sign of winds of change.
But Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva said the development does not mean Kejriwal is innocent.
“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,” Sachdeva was quoted as saying by News18.
The apex court had imposed a slew of bail conditions on the AAP leader.
It said he cannot visit his office or the Delhi Secretariat during the tenure of his interim bail.
It asked Kejriwal to not sign any official file unless absolutely necessary to obtain the Lieutenant Governor’s sanction during the 21-day interim bail period.
A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta said Kejriwal, arrested in a money laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy scam, will have to surrender and go back to jail on 2 June.
The bench refused the request of senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Kejriwal, that the interim bail be granted till 5 June .
1 June is the last day of the seven-phase elections.
The court said reasons for granting Kejriwal interim bail will follow.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, appearing for the Enforcement Directorate, opposed the granting of interim bail to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief on grounds of poll campaigning saying no such precedents are available.
Observing that granting Kejriwal interim bail for 21 days will not make much of a difference, the bench said the ED’s Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) was registered in August 2022 while the chief minister was arrested on 21 March.
“He (Kejriwal) was out there for one-and-a-half-years. He could have been arrested earlier or after but nothing such thing happened,” the bench told ED.
The law officers urged the court to impose bail conditions, including that Kejriwal will not say anything regarding the excise policy case.
The bench said the conditions will be similar to those imposed on AAP leader Sanjay Singh, who was given bail last month in connection with the case.
According to lawyer Shadan Farasat, who appeared for Kejriwal, the court pronounced a very short oral order.
“We have not yet seen the written order. So we don’t know the exact contents of the written order. The court said they are releasing Kejriwal on an interim release/bail until 2 June, and there are no conditions on what he can say and what he cannot say during the campaigning process and while he is out in these 20-22 days,” he said.
“We are hoping that this order is uploaded today, and then we will update appropriate procedure for his release,” Farasat added.
The apex court is hearing Kejriwal’s plea challenging the Delhi High Court’s verdict last month upholding his arrest in the case.
The bench said arguments on Kejriwal’s plea against the arrest will continue next week and it will try to pronounce the judgement on the petition before the summer vacations starting 20 May.
With inputs from agencies
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