Panaji, Aug 20: AAP leader Atishi has described former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest by the ED last year as a “very difficult phase” for the party, but insisted it only strengthened their resolve to fight the BJP “till their last breath”.
Talking to PTI in Goa on Tuesday, former Delhi CM Atishi said when Kejriwal was taken away by the Enforcement Directorate, sleuths in connection with a money laundering case in March 2024, she went home with a sinking heart but a firm determination.
“When Arvind Kejriwal ji was arrested, I remember reaching home that night and thinking – whatever may happen now, we will fight against the BJP till our last breath,” she said when asked if after Kejriwal’s arrest she thought it was all over.
The AAP, being a small party, is bound together not just by politics but by deep personal bonds, the leader of opposition in the Delhi assembly maintained.
“We are friends, family, colleagues – we built this party together. When one after another our leaders went to jail, it was not only about the person who was arrested. We used to look at their families, I could see the health of Manish Sisodia’s wife deteriorating when he was in jail,” she recalled.
On the arrest of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) head Kejriwal, Atishi said if he had to indulge in corruption, he would not have left the job of Income Tax commissioner. He dedicated himself to the public life even risking his health, she added.
“These days, I have heard IRS officers opting for Voluntary Retirement Scheme because they have either purchased a hotel in London, Paris or have a property there,” she quipped.
But, here is a man (Kejriwal) who has sacrificed so much for this country, even his personal health, the Goa AAP in-charge said.
“And if BJP can accuse such a honest person of being involved in corruption, then I decided that I will fight against the BJP till my last breath,” she said. (PTI)
