Taking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi yet again, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday claimed he stood like a “rock” against Narendra Modi’s “misdeeds” and alleged that the FIR linking his Government to the multi-crore water tanker scam was filed at the former’s behest. Kejriwal claimed “an FIR was registered against me under the directions of PM Narendra Modi.” The FIR, however, does not mention either Arvind Kejriwal or Sheila Dikshit.
Making a brief yet agressive statement to the media, Kejriwal dared Modi to lodge “as many FIRs and get as many CBI raids conducted against me as he can,” asserting such “coercive” methods would not “scare” him or the Aam Aadmi Party into silence. The Chief Minister wondered why Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra was not being acted against, contrary to the pre-poll rhetoric of the BJP. He also questioned the Centre’s “inaction” against Sonia in the AgustaWestland scam.
Mentioning that the FIR is false and nothing will get out of it. Kejriwal questioned, “Why Modiji is conducting false CBI raidsIJ PM has threatened all others through false FIRs and raids. He wants to break me down, but whatever he will do, I will be standing like a rock. Whenever there is a Dalit or a farmer will face atrocities, I will be standing with them.”
Delhi CM also said, “Modiji, I am not a Rahul Gandhi or Sonia Gandhi that you can scare me. I am not a Robert Vadra that you can have a setting (secret deal) with me. The Modi Government doesn’t file cases against Rahul or Sonia Gandhi or Vadra but it targets me. You can conduct as many raids and as many FIRs. I will die but will not tolerate fraud.”
“Why wasn’t any CBI raid not ordered against Vadra, Sonia or RahulIJ But FIR and raids are conducted against me. This indicates that even Modiji also believes that his fight is directly against me,” Kejriwal said. “Modi has tried to intimidate people with raids, false cases and threats. But I am standing like a rock — I won’t bend, break or back off,” he added.
His attack came a day after Delhi’s Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) chief MK Meena said besides probing former Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit’s role in the tanker scam, Kejriwal may also be quizzed for “sitting over” a report by an AAP Government-ordered fact-finding committee that found the alleged irregularities. He said he will raise his voice against Modi “shielding” Shivraj Singh Chauhan, Vasundhara Raje, Anandiben Patel, who he alleged were involved in the Vyapam scandal, controversy over former IPl boss lalit Modi’s immigration application and a land scam respectively.
“I will raise my voice if you help Vijay Mallya flee the country with Rs 7,000 crore. If you open the defence sector to FDI jeopardising the country’s security, then I will raise my voice. If BJP leaders are seen siding with the killers of an honest officer MM Khan, then I will raise my voice,” he said.
A case was registered on Monday by ACB in connection with the alleged Rs 400-crore water tanker scam allegedly against then CM Sheila Dikshit.
Meena said two complaints related to the alleged scam include Dikshit and Kejriwal. Both will be questioned, said the police officer, who reports to the Centre.