New Delhi: Social activist Anna Hazare on Saturday termed as ironic the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who was part of the Jan Lokpal movement, in a corruption case even as he demanded a thorough probe into the matter and punishment for the guilty. In a statement, he accused Kejriwal of betraying the trust of millions of citizens and rued that political ambitions were destroyed in 2011.
"I am very pained over the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a corruption case related to the liquor policy of the Delhi government. It is ironic that my colleague from the Jan Lokpal movement, aimed against graft, was arrested in a corruption case", PTI quoted Hazare as saying.
'Anti-Corruption Movement Destroyed Because Of Political Ambitions': Anna Hazare Jibes At Arvind Kejriwal
The demand for a Jan Lokpal at the beginning of the last decade sparked a mass movement that rattled the Congress-led UPA government at the time. Anna Hazare, Arvind Kejriwal, and Manish Sisodia emerged as key faces in this movement. Subsequently, Kejriwal later founded the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), achieving electoral success alongside Sisodia. However, Hazare distanced himself from the movement after it took a political turn.
"It was unfortunate that the political alternative of the Jan Lokpal movement has turned unsuccessful and the anti-corruption movement has been destroyed because of political ambitions", Hazare stated targeting Kejriwal.
The India anti-corruption movement, which commenced in 2011, comprised a series of demonstrations and protests across India aimed at enacting robust legislation to combat perceived political corruption. Referring to a letter written to the Delhi Chief Minister in August 2022 regarding the excise policy, social activist Anna Hazare accused Arvind Kejriwal of betraying the trust of millions of citizens. Hazare, who resides in the Ahmed Nagar district of Maharashtra, highlighted that he had reminded Kejriwal in the letter about the model code outlined by the AAP leader concerning the excise policy, as detailed in his book Swaraj.
Anna Hazare emphasised the need for a thorough investigation into the matter until its conclusion and stressed that the culprits must face appropriate punishment. His statement comes in the wake of the Enforcement Directorate's arrest of AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal in a money laundering case linked to the excise policy, as per PTI report.
The ED has alleged Kejriwal's involvement in the entire conspiracy surrounding the Delhi liquor scam and further accused him of utilising part of the proceeds from the crime in the election campaign for the Goa Assembly election.