New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal surrendered at Tihar Jail on Sunday evening. Kejriwal had been released from prison on 10 May on interim bail granted by the Supreme Court in a money laundering case linked to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam to campaign in the Lok Sabha polls. This interim bail of 21 days expired on 1 June, the day of the seventh and final phase of the general elections.
Before returning to jail, he visited Mahatma Gandhi's memorial at Raj Ghat and the Hanuman temple in Connaught Place. He also addressed workers and leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) at their office on Rouse Avenue Road.
During his address, Kejriwal said, "I am going back to jail not because I was involved in corruption but because I raised voice against dictatorship, I was given a 21-day (relief) by the Supreme Court. These 21 days were unforgettable. I did not waste even a minute. I campaigned for saving the country. The AAP is not important, it is secondary. The country comes first," he said.
Kejriwal also asserted that all exit polls predicting a third term for the BJP-led NDA at the Centre were "fake". Exit polls on Saturday predicted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will retain power for a third straight term, with the NDA expected to win a big majority in the polls. "They are not forming government on June 4. These exit polls are mind games to drive you into depression," Kejriwal told AAP workers and leaders.
At the Raj Ghat, AAP national convenor Kejriwal was accompanied by his wife Sunita Kejriwal and many party leaders, including Delhi Minister Atishi and Rajya Sabha MPs Sanjay Singh and Sandeep Pathak. He reached the memorial around 3 pm.
In a post on X in Hindi, Kejriwal, earlier in the day, said, "On orders of the honourable Supreme Court, I came out from prison for election campaign for 21 days. Many thanks to the honourable Supreme Court."
"Today I will go to Tihar and surrender. I will leave home at 3 pm. First, I will go to Raj Ghat and pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi. From there, I will go to Hanuman Temple in Connaught Place to seek blessings of Hanuman ji. And from there, I will go to the party office and meet with workers and party leaders. From there, I will leave for Tihar," the chief minister said. "All of you take care of yourselves. I will be worried about you. If you are happy then your Kejriwal will also be happy in jail. Jai Hind," he added.
(With PTI Inputs)