'If you vote for AAP, I may not go back to jail', ED brings SC's attention to CM Kejriwal's 'appeal'

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday brought to the notice of the Supreme Court statements made by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal appealing to people to vote for Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) if they wished he (Kejriwal) did not return to jail.

Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta, the second highest law officer of the Centre, representing the ED, told a bench presided over by Justice Sanjiv Khanna, that such statements are a direct “slap on the system” and he would like to place CM Kejriwal’s videos for the perusal of the apex court.

SG Mehta referred to CM Kejriwal’s speech, where the AAP supremo had said that he would not have to go to jail if people voted for the “broom” symbol.

The law officer said, “This is a slap on the system. He (Kejriwal) says, ‘If you vote for me, I will not have to go to jail on June 2’. How can that happen?”

“Our order is very clear. We have fixed the timeline, i.e., the dates of release and surrender. We are not making any exception to anybody,” clarified the Bench, also comprising Justice Dipankar Datta.

“He ought not to have said this. This is slapping on the face of the institution and I take an exception to that. I leave it to that end,” SG Mehta said.

In response, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing CM Kejriwal, said that the AAP leader was alleging mala fide against the government and many senior ministers of the Centre made various kinds of statements against his client.

The apex court called the parties to “confine” themselves to the legal questions and proceeded to hear the matter.

In an order passed last week, the apex court ordered CM Kejriwal to be released on interim bail in the excise policy case till June 1 and directed him to surrender on June 2.

It prohibited CM Kejriwal from signing official files unless it is required and necessary for obtaining clearance/approval of the Lt Governor of Delhi. Also, while out on interim bail, he will not visit the CM office or the Delhi Secretariat.