Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said he will surrender before the police at Tihar Jail on June 2 (Sunday) in connection with a money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped liquor policy. Kejriwal, who has been out on interim bail since May 10, said doctors told him his body could have some signs of a "serious disease".
Addressing a press conference, Kejriwal said he had no idea how long he would be kept in jail. He asserted that his "spirits were high" as he would go back to prison to "save the country from dictatorship".
Hitting out at the BJP, Kejriwal said, "They tried to break me in many ways, tried to silence me, but they did not succeed. When I was in jail, they tortured me in many ways. They stopped my medicines. I don't know what these people wanted. Why did they do this?"
"When I went to jail, my weight was 70 kg. Today, it is 64 kg. Even after being released from jail, I am not gaining weight. Doctors are saying that this can also be a sign of some serious disease in the body. Many tests need to be done," he added.
The AAP chief alleged that the BJP, without naming the party, would try to "harass him" once he returned to jail and asserted that he would not bow down.
"The Supreme Court had given me 21 days to campaign for the elections. The day after tomorrow, I will go back to Tihar Jail. I will leave my house around 3 pm to surrender. It is possible that this time, they may torture me more, but I will not bow down. Wherever I live, inside or outside. I will not let the work of Delhi stop," he said.
"Your free electricity, mohalla clinics, hospitals, free medicines, treatment, 24-hour electricity and many other things will continue. After returning, we will also start giving Rs 1,000 every month to every mother and sister of Delhi," he added.
Kejriwal appealed to the people to pray for his mother who has been unwell.
"My parents are very old. My mother is very ill. I will worry a lot about her in jail. Take care of my parents and pray for them," he said
Kejriwal walked out of Tihar Jail on May 10 after the Supreme Court granted him interim bail in the liquor policy case. He has been asked to surrender by June 2, two days before the counting of votes for the Lok Sabha polls is to be held.
The AAP chief was arrested on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) after questioning at his residence in Delhi's Civil Lines area.
On Thursday, a court in Delhi deferred till June 1 Kejriwal's bail plea in the liquor policy case. The Chief Minister has sought both regular bail and interim bail in the case.
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court said it will not hear Kejriwal's request for a seven-day extension of his interim bail in the liquor policy case. The court registry refused to accept the application, saying since Kejriwal was given the liberty to move the trial court for regular bail, the plea was not maintainable.
