NEW DELHI, Sept 18 (NNN-PTI) – Indian opposition leader and Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, tendered his resignation yesterday, and picked his colleague and local minister, Atishi, to replace him.
Kejriwal’s resignation came days after getting bail from India’s top court in a corruption case.
He was arrested in Mar and spent five months in jail in connection with Delhi excise policy case.
Officials said, Kejriwal met Delhi Lieutenant Governor, V K Saxena, at his residence earlier in the day to submit his resignation.
Kejriwal, a fierce critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate – the Indian government’s financial crime-fighting agency – in Mar, on charges of corruption, related to the direct involvement in the formulation of the excise policy, favouring specific individuals.
Investigations into the case began in Aug, 2022, when India’s key probing agency, Central Bureau of Investigation accused the Delhi government of using the policy to favour certain liquor dealers, who had allegedly paid bribes. The policy was subsequently scrapped.
The Aam Aadmi Party rejected any wrongdoing, saying, their leaders have been “falsely arrested” in a “fabricated case.” The party accuses Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of political interference, a charge denied by the ruling party.– NNN-PTI
