Senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Raghav Chadha responded today to Arvind Kejriwal’s announcement of his resignation as Delhi Chief Minister, describing it as a move to face an “agnipariksha” or trial by fire. Kejriwal declared that he will step down from his position in two days and will not return to the Chief Minister’s office until he receives a “certificate of honesty” from the people. This decision follows his recent release on bail from Tihar Jail in connection with the Delhi liquor policy corruption case.
Chadha expressed confidence in Kejriwal’s integrity, stating, “Today, he has chosen to undergo an agnipariksha. The people of Delhi will demonstrate his honesty by supporting AAP in the upcoming elections.” He drew a parallel to a famous scene from Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan’s film “Deewar,” suggesting that the people of Delhi will symbolically affirm Kejriwal’s innocence through their votes.
#WATCH | On Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s ‘I am going to resign from CM post after 2 days’ statement, AAP MP Raghav Chadha says “…’Mukhyamantri ji agni-pariksha se guzarne ke liye taiyyar hai’. Now it’s in the hands of the people of Delhi to decide if he is honest or not. Arvind… pic.twitter.com/sFe5GpshEw
— ANI (@ANI) September 15, 2024
Earlier today, Kejriwal announced his resignation at a party meeting, emphasizing that he would not reclaim the Chief Minister’s role until he has received a clear mandate from the electorate. “I will resign as Chief Minister in two days. I will not sit in that chair until the people have made their decision. While the Delhi elections are still months away, I have obtained justice from the courts; now I seek justice from the people’s court. I will return to the Chief Minister’s chair only after the people’s verdict,” Kejriwal stated.
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He urged the people of Delhi to judge his performance and integrity through their votes. Kejriwal also announced that a meeting of AAP MLAs would be held within the next two days to elect a new Chief Minister for the capital. Additionally, he called for the Delhi Assembly elections, scheduled for early next year, to be advanced to November to coincide with the polls in Maharashtra.