Arvind Kejriwal takes 'dictatorship' jibe at PM Modi amid Swati Maliwal row, says 'Like Vladimir Putin's Russia, India is...'
Taking aim at PM Narendra Modi, he indirectly compared the current situation of India with Vladimir Putin's Russia.
- May 17, 2024,
- Updated May 17, 2024 3:18 PM IST
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, while campaigning in Pu njab on Friday, said India is going through a phase of 'dictatorship'. Taking aim at PM Narendra Modi, he indirectly compared the current situation of India with Vladimir Putin's Russia.
While mentioning that the central government has been putting leaders of opposition behind the bars, he said that the alleged dictatorship in the country is completely unacceptable to him.
"The dictatorship that is going on in our country is not acceptable. India has never seen such a period in the past 75 years, putting opposition leaders in jail," said Arvind Kejriwal.
He took a reference of Putin and said that the Russia's leader used to do the same by putting opposition leaders in jail right before the elections.
"Like in Russia, (Vladimir) Putin had either sent all rival leaders in jail or got them killed and then conducted the elections and got 87 per cent votes. When there is no opposition, you will be the only one who will get votes," PTI quoted him as saying.
Kejriwal highlighted that AAP leader Manish Sisodia has been in jail since February last year. He also claimed that the government has been harassing the Congress, TMC, and MK Stalin's DMK.
"Put everyone in jail. Then only one party and one leader will remain but democracy will not survive. We do not have to let this happen," said Kejriwal.
Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court granted him 21 days of interim bail, requiring him to surrender on June 2, the day after the Lok Sabha elections end.
This remark follows an FIR filed by Delhi police against Kejriwal's secretary, Bibhav Kumar, for assaulting Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal.
Swati Maliwal accused Bibhav Kumar of slapping and punching her in Arvind Kejriwal's drawing room, claiming Kejriwal was inside the house at the time.
On Thursday, during a joint INDIA bloc press conference, Kejriwal seemed to avoid a journalist's question about Swati Maliwal.
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, while campaigning in Pu njab on Friday, said India is going through a phase of 'dictatorship'. Taking aim at PM Narendra Modi, he indirectly compared the current situation of India with Vladimir Putin's Russia.
While mentioning that the central government has been putting leaders of opposition behind the bars, he said that the alleged dictatorship in the country is completely unacceptable to him.
"The dictatorship that is going on in our country is not acceptable. India has never seen such a period in the past 75 years, putting opposition leaders in jail," said Arvind Kejriwal.
He took a reference of Putin and said that the Russia's leader used to do the same by putting opposition leaders in jail right before the elections.
"Like in Russia, (Vladimir) Putin had either sent all rival leaders in jail or got them killed and then conducted the elections and got 87 per cent votes. When there is no opposition, you will be the only one who will get votes," PTI quoted him as saying.
Kejriwal highlighted that AAP leader Manish Sisodia has been in jail since February last year. He also claimed that the government has been harassing the Congress, TMC, and MK Stalin's DMK.
"Put everyone in jail. Then only one party and one leader will remain but democracy will not survive. We do not have to let this happen," said Kejriwal.
Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court granted him 21 days of interim bail, requiring him to surrender on June 2, the day after the Lok Sabha elections end.
This remark follows an FIR filed by Delhi police against Kejriwal's secretary, Bibhav Kumar, for assaulting Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal.
Swati Maliwal accused Bibhav Kumar of slapping and punching her in Arvind Kejriwal's drawing room, claiming Kejriwal was inside the house at the time.
On Thursday, during a joint INDIA bloc press conference, Kejriwal seemed to avoid a journalist's question about Swati Maliwal.