Arvind Kejriwal condemned Satyendar Jain's arrest in the Delhi Jal Board case, calling it BJP's 'political dictatorship' and a 'fabricated' case. Manish Sisodia linked the timing of the arrest to the upcoming Punjab elections.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday condemned the legal action against former Delhi Minister and AAP leader Satyendar Jain, questioning how long the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) act of ' political dictatorship ' will continue.
Kejriwal slams 'political dictatorship'
In an X post, Kejriwal asserted that the case against Jain over his involvement in the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) investigation into the Delhi Jal Board tender case is fabricated. "Satendra Jain ji has once again been arrested at the behest of the BJP. Just a short while ago, everyone still remembers the ordeal they put him through by throwing him in jail. The previous case was fabricated too, and this case will also be proven to be fake," he said.
Criticising the BJP, Kejriwal questioned who would compensate Jain for his time in custody and the mental strain endured during previous incarcerations. "How long will the BJP's dictatorship continue like this? Whoever they feel like, they slap false charges on and toss into jail. Their lies will once again be exposed before the nation, but who will compensate for the time spent in jail and the mental torture endured?" he asked.
The former Delhi Chief Minister stated that public support remains with Jain, further predicting that the government's tactics would backfire. "The cup of the BJP's sins has now overflowed. No matter how much dictatorship they resort to, the end of the Modi government is now certain. The entire Aam Aadmi Party and the people of the country stand firmly with Satendra Jain," he said.
Arrest linked to Punjab elections: Sisodia
Senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia linked the timing of the arrest directly to the upcoming elections in Punjab, where Satyendar Jain serves as the party's co-in-charge. In an X post, Sisodia accused the BJP of resorting to central agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB), and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) whenever it faces public pressure on policy and governance issues. "Just before the Punjab elections, Punjab's co-in-charge Satyendra Jain has been arrested. Earlier too, he was kept in jail for two and a half years in a fake case, and now again. Another fake case. From the GenZ movement to the Ram Temple donation scam and the E20 issue, the BJP, which is cornered on all fronts, has now resorted once more to the ED-ACB-CBI's old election-time tactics," he said.
ACB confirms arrest of Jain, 5 others
The remarks came after the Anti-Corruption Branch arrested six accused, including Satyendar Kumar Jain and former Delhi Jal Board CEO Udit Prakash Rai, in connection with alleged irregularities and manipulation in the tendering process for augmentation and upgradation of Sewage Treatment Plants.
According to the ACB release, the accused have been arrested in connection with an FIR registered under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and the IPC. The other accused arrested in the case have been identified as Ankit Srivastava, former contractual consultant with the Delhi Jal Board; Nagendra Yadav, proprietor of M/s AN Enterprises; Raja Kumar Kurra, owner of M/s Euroteck Environment Pvt. Ltd.; and Pankaj Verma, proprietor of M/s Srijanhar. (ANI)
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