Arvind Kejriwal Returns To Tihar Jail As Bail Ends Post-Election

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal surrendered in Tihar jail this evening after his interim bail expired. Kejriwal, who had been on bail for 21 days, began his journey from home around 3 pm, stopping first at Rajghat to pay his respects to Mahatma Gandhi, then visiting Hanuman Mandir, and finally stopping at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) headquarters before heading to the jail. He had been released on interim bail by the Supreme Court.

At the AAP headquarters, Kejriwal expressed gratitude to the Supreme Court, noting that the interim bail period had been productive.

“I did not waste even one minute of the 21 days. I campaigned for all parties to save the country. The country is important; Aam Aadmi Party is second,” he said, describing the experience as “unforgettable.”

Kejriwal also highlighted what he saw as a significant moment during his campaign: “The best thing that happened during this campaign was that Prime Minister Narendra Modi admitted that he did not have even an iota of evidence against me.” He criticized the Central government for what he termed a dictatorial approach, questioning how a Chief Minister, with a significant mandate, could be jailed without evidence.

“This is dictatorship. I will put anyone I wish in jail and send a message to the whole country that when I can put Kejriwal in jail, I can put anyone in jail,” he remarked.

Kejriwal was accompanied by his wife Sunita Kejriwal, and party leaders including Delhi ministers Atishi, Kailash Gahlot, and Saurabh Bharadwaj, Rajya Sabha MPs Sanjay Singh and Sandeep Pathak, and leaders Durgesh Pathak, Rakhi Birla, and Reena Gupta.

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Accused in the Delhi liquor policy case, Kejriwal had been in jail since April 1 until he received interim bail from the Supreme Court. His stay in Tihar was contentious, with disputes over his diabetes and medication. Kejriwal and his party alleged that authorities had withheld necessary medication since his arrest, while the Enforcement Directorate claimed he consumed food inappropriate for diabetics.

Kejriwal, who had requested an extension of his bail on health grounds but received no immediate relief, expressed uncertainty about his treatment upon his return to jail.