'Anyone Could Be Put Behind Bars, BJP Fears Defeat In Gujarat Polls': Kejriwal After Arrest Of AAP's Vijay Nair

Kejriwal further accused the BJP-led government at the Centre in engaging in "dirty politics" instead of addressing the problems in the country.

Arvind Kejriwal

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New Delhi: Close on the heels of the arrest of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) communications in-charge Vijay Nair in connection with the Delhi excise policy case, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said anyone from the party could be put behind bars on false charges as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would leave no stone unturned fearing defeat in the Gujarat elections.

In a digital address, Kejriwal alleged that Nair was arrested by the CBI after he refused to buckle under the agency's pressure to give a false statement against Manish Sisodia in the excise policy case.

According to a report by news agency PTI, Nair was held on charges of "cartelisation" and "conspiracy" related to the ‘anomalies’ in the excise policy.    

Slamming the BJP-led Centre over Nair's arrest, Kejriwal said, "They are extremely rattled and have gone crazy as the (popularity) graph of the Aam Aadmi Party in Gujarat is rising each day at a very fast pace. People of Gujarat are coming out in the streets and openly criticising them (BJP)."

“First, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain was arrested, then AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan and now Nair on completely false charges,” Kejriwal said, adding, “Next week, they are going to arrest Sisodia. If they can arrest a small party worker like Nair, they can arrest anybody.”

Kejriwal further accused the BJP-led government at the Centre in engaging in "dirty politics" instead of addressing the problems in the country.

"Nair was a small party worker and took care of the party's communications related work. He did very well in Punjab and was currently engaged in preparing the party's communications strategy for Gujarat. The CBI, which was calling and questioning him for the past few days, was putting pressure on him to name Sisodia in the case," Kejriwal said.

The Delhi CM further said that his party is fighting "a second battle" for India's freedom and exhorted the party workers to remain prepared to go to jail.

"This is the second battle for freedom. Bhagat Singh had fought for India's freedom from British/ We have to fight for the country's freedom from those looting it and purchasing MLAs openly," he said.