Out of jail if we win: Kejriwal

New Delhi: Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday claimed that he will be back from Tihar Jail on June 5 if the INDIA bloc comes to power after the election results are announced. Addressing AAP councillors, Mr Kejriwal alleged that efforts were made to break and humiliate him during his judicial custody in Tihar.

Arrested in a money-laundering case linked to the alleged Delhi excise policy “scam”, Mr Kejriwal has been granted interim bail by the Supreme Court to till June 1 to campaign in the Lok Sabha elections. He will have to surrender and go back to jail on June 2. June 1 is the last day of the seven-phase elections and the votes will be counted on June 4.

Mr Kejriwal told his councillors that there were two CCTV cameras inside his cell in Tihar Jail, adding that the footage was being monitored by 13 officers. “It is said that the CCTV feed was also provided to the PMO. Modiji was monitoring me… I don’t know what grudge Modi has against me,” he alleged.

The AAP supremo expressed his pride in their unity against attempts to destabilise the AAP government. He claimed that there were plans to arrest him and break the party, but these plans failed as the party members, councillors and volunteers had stood firm.

Mr Kejriwal said: “Their plan was to arrest me and break the party… Break the councillors and MLAs, and topple the AAP government in the MCD and Delhi government… but their plans failed… Usually when a CM is arrested, the party falls but here it was different… all the MLAs, councillors, volunteers and party workers came together steadily. They tried to break several of us but no one fell into their trap… I am proud of you all. The entire country is proud.”

Giving examples of the Bhagvad Gita, Mr Kejriwal said: “Whenever the world was in danger, God came to save the earth in different avatars like Jai Shri Ram, Krishna… there are also times where you will not see God but God will be creating different circumstances to save the earth. Three months ago everyone thought the BJP would get 400 paar … but now so much has happened that they themselves are not sure if they will win even 250 seats… When I was arrested, I thought I would be in jail for 6-7 months. I made up my mind for that but see now, a miracle has happened and I am here in front of you… God is there watching everything.”

On Sunday, the AAP supremo met party MLAs and praised them for not breaking down despite the BJP’s efforts after his arrest. He said the AAP “became more united instead of breaking apart” after his arrest.