New Delhi | Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday surrendered at the Tihar jail here after his interim bail granted by the Supreme Court in the excise policy-linked money laundering case ended on June 1.
He was granted the relief for campaigning in the Lok Sabha elections.
Before surrendering, Kejriwal paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi at the Raj Ghat, offered prayers at the Hanuman temple in Connaught Place and addressed AAP leaders and workers at the party office.
During his address, Kejriwal said, "I am going back to jail not because I was involved in corruption but because I raised voice against dictatorship."
"I was given a 21-day (relief) by the Supreme Court. These 21 days were unforgettable. I did not waste even a minute. I campaigned for saving the country. The AAP is not important, it is secondary. The country comes first," he said.
Kejriwal also asserted that all exit polls predicting a third term for the BJP-led NDA at the Centre were "fake".
Exit polls on Saturday predicted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will retain power for a third straight term, with the NDA expected to win a big majority in the polls.
"They are not forming government on June 4. These exit polls are mind games to drive you into depression," Kejriwal told AAP workers and leaders.
Before Kejriwal arrived at the Tihar jail, traffic movement was restricted in the areas around the prison and security arrangements heightened with deployment of deployment of police personnel.
The chief minister paid homage at Mahatma Gandhi's memorial at the Raj Ghat, offered prayers at the Hanuman temple in Connaught Place and addressed workers and leaders of the AAP before surrendering.
Kejriwal's wife Sunita Kejriwal was seen accompanying him. AAP leaders, including Atishi, Kailash Gahlot and Saurabh Bharadwaj, Rajya Sabha MPs Sanjay Singh and Sandeep Pathak, and party leaders Durgesh Pathak, Rakhi Birla and Reena Gupta were also present.
After taking blessings from his elderly parents and hugging his children, Kejriwal
left his home at 3 pm for the Rajghat and paid tribute at Mahatma Gandhi's memorial. He offered prayers at a Hanuman temple in Connaught Place before reaching the party headquarters.
"Prime Minister Modi has admitted in front of the country that he has no evidence against me... He has put me in jail without any evidence... This is blatant dictatorship and I am fighting against it," he told his party workers and leaders.
He asserted that he campaigned wherever he got a chance, and wherever he was called in to campaign.
"The country is important for me. The Aam Aadmi Party is not important, the Aam Aadmi Party is secondary. The country comes first for us. So, I want to tell the people of Delhi that today I am going to jail again. Today your son is going to jail again. Not because I have done any corruption, but because I dared to raise my voice against dictatorship," he said.
The Delhi chief minister said he leads a government that has come to power with record majority, the highest seen in the country in 75 years.
"Once with 67 seats out of 70, second time with 62 seats out of 70, with more than 55 per cent vote share.
"The chief minister of a government with such a huge majority was put in jail without any evidence. This is blatant dictatorship that 'whoever I want I will put in jail'. And he (PM Modi) gave a message to the whole country, 'if I put Kejriwal in jail in a fake case what is your status, I will arrest anyone and put them in jail'," he charged.
Freedom fighter Bhagat Singh had said "when power becomes dictatorship, then jail becomes a responsibility".
"We are disciples of Bhagat Singh. Bhagat Singh went to jail to save the country, to free the country. Bhagat Singh was hanged to free the country, we are going to jail to save the country," he said.
"This time when I am going (to jail) I don't know when will I come back, I don't know what they will do to me in jail. But I don't care, they can do whatever they want. If Bhagat Singh was hanged, I am also ready to be hanged. Every drop of my blood is for this country, every moment of my life is for the country," he asserted.
Talking about his Rajghat visit, he said he paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at his Samadhi (memorial).
"Gandhiji had ended dictatorship in our country, he is a source of inspiration for us," Kejriwal said.
After that, he went to Connaught Place and offered prayers at Hanuman Mandir.
"June 4 is also Tuesday. Lord Bajrang Bali will do good to everyone. He will destroy dictators. We do not have enmity with any particular person, but with dictatorship.
"We cannot bear tyranny. So, June 4 is also Tuesday and Bajrang Bali has many blessings on me, the AAP, and the country. I went to pray to Bajrang Bali that Lord Bajrang Bali, save my country," he added.
New Delhi | A court here on Sunday sent Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to judicial custody till June 5 in a money laundering case related to the alleged excise scam.
Duty judge Sanjeev Aggarwal passed the order after the chief minister was produced before the court through video conference after surrendering at Tihar jail upon the expiry of his interim bail granted by the Supreme Court for campaigning in the Lok Sabha polls.
The judge passed the order on an application filed by the Enforcement Directorate, seeking extension of judicial custody by 14 days.
The application was moved by the ED on May 20 while Kejriwal was out on interim bail.
The court sent Kejriwal to judicial custody till June 5, noting that the judge concerned was scheduled to pass an order on his interim bail plea on health grounds on that day.