‘My Son Will Go to Jail If…’: Kejriwal Makes Strong Anti-Corruption Pitch at AAP’s 1st K’taka Rally
BJP MLA’s son was caught with Rs 8 crore cash in Karnataka but instead of him, former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia was arrested, said Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday at his maiden mega AAP rally in Davanagere ahead of the Karnataka assembly elections.
Defending arrested minister Sisodia, whose CBI custody was extended by two more days by a Delhi Court in a corruption case related to the excise policy, Kejriwal maintained that the party has zero tolerance for corruption and vowed, “If my son ever does corruption…he will go to jail.”
Addressing his maiden election public meeting in Karnataka, the Delhi Chief Minister took a dig at the ruling BJP government in Karnataka using the party’s ‘double-engine’ promise, a reference to the BJP being in power both in State and at the Centre, and said, “Corruption doubles in the ‘double engine’ government. We need a ‘new engine’ government.”
He further alleged that a 40 per cent commission government is running in Karnataka. The AAP chief stated that the state contractors’ association president Kempanna wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the ministers in Karnataka are demanding 40 per cent commission. However, instead of addressing the octogenarian office-bearer’s grievance or taking action against the ministers and MLAs, the 82-year-old contractor was arrested, Kejriwal alleged.
“Recently, Union Home Minister Amit Shah came to Karnataka and appealed to the people to give absolute majority in the upcoming assembly election to establish a corruption-free government in the state. Then, someone reminded him that already there is a BJP government in the state. I want to ask him why you could not eradicate corruption in the last four years,” he was quoted as saying.
He added that the incident in which the BJP MLA’s son was caught with unaccounted cash worth Rs 8.23 crore took place a day after Shah flew back to Delhi. “One of their (BJP) minister’s son was found in possession of Rs 8 crore but he isn’t arrested yet. They might award him Padma Bhushan next year,” he added.
Channagiri BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa was booked, while his son Prashanth Kumar M V, a government officer, was arrested by Lokayukta following raids in several places in the state.
He appealed to the people of the state to give the AAP a chance to transform Karnataka and give a corruption-free government for five years. “We are staunch honest. We will give a corruption-free government. We will give free electricity, build good government schools and provide quality education,” Kejriwal said.
Karnataka Assembly elections are likely to be held by May.
(With inputs from ANI, PTI)
