New Delhi: In a statement from the custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which has arrested him in the excise policy case, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said Saturday that he is a “man of steel” who cannot be kept imprisoned for too long.
More than the message, however, the spotlight was on the messenger, the chief minister’s wife, Sunita Kejriwal, who read out the statement. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) streamed her video statement across its social media channels.
“I am Sunita Kejriwal. I am Arvind Kejriwal’s wife. Your son, your brother has sent a message for you from jail,” she said at the beginning of her statement, which lasted a little over three minutes.
“I want to appeal to all mothers and sisters, have faith in your son and brother. There is no prison that can keep your son and brother inside for too long. I will come out soon and fulfil my promises. Has there been any instance till date when Kejriwal did not fulfil any of his promises? Your son, and brother, is made of steel,” she quoted her husband as having said.
मुख्यमंत्री @ArvindKejriwal जी ने देशवासियों के लिए Jail से भेजा संदेश:
मुख्यमंत्री जी की धर्मपत्नी @KejriwalSunita जी ने पढ़ा संदेश:
मुझे गिरफ़्तार कर लिया गया है। मैं लोहे का बना हूँ।
मेरे शरीर का एक-एक कण देश के लिए है। मेरा जीवन ही संघर्ष के लिए हुआ है।
कुछ देश के अंदर और… pic.twitter.com/flpap0kasa
— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) March 23, 2024
Arvind Kejriwal and wife Sunita met at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie during their training after clearing the entrance exam for the Indian Revenue Service (IRS).
A former IRS officer like her husband, Sunita Kejriwal may have campaigned for the AAP in the past, but the party’s decision to field her in a politically fraught moment like this has added a new dimension to the ongoing saga.
It comes at a time when not just Kejriwal is in ED custody, but many senior party leaders including former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh — who it was believed could have taken over the reins of the party in Kejriwal’s absence — are also in jail in connection with the same excise policy case.
It is learnt from AAP sources that for now the idea is to deploy Sunita Kejriwal to make emotional pitches, particularly aimed at the party’s women voters, to make the most out of, what the AAP feels, was a “foolish move by the BJP to get Kejriwal arrested”.
The party’s plan became evident when, in her video statement, Sunita Kejriwal also sought to assure the women of Delhi that they should not be worried about the future of the monthly assistance scheme of Rs 1,000 announced by the AAP government in February.
Although she never appeared to harbour political ambitions, Sunita Kejriwal has had a significant presence in the AAP’s projection, beginning in 2019 after its crushing defeat in the Lok Sabha elections, of Kejriwal as a bhai and beta — a complete family man — to the people of Delhi.
Be it Lakshmi puja during Diwali festivities at home, or on the sprawling compound of Akshardham temple, Sunita Kejriwal’s presence in AAP’s political messaging has gradually risen. On many occasions, she posted pictures from her social media accounts to reinforce Kejriwal’s family man image.
Ahead of the 2022 Punjab assembly polls, she was also seen in the state, canvassing for votes for Bhagwant Mann that put a lid on speculation that the AAP chief doubts the comic-turned-politician’s abilities.
Meanwhile, in his statement from ED custody, Kejriwal also appealed to people to visit a temple and seek blessings for him. He also advised people to not “hate BJP supporters as they are also our brothers and sisters”.
“I was born to fight. This arrest does not rattle me. There are many more fights lined up for me in the future too…There are many forces inside and outside India that are weakening the country. We need to remain alert to recognise these forces and defeat them,” he was quoted as having said.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)