New Delhi: In his first remarks after being released from Tihar Jail on Friday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said he will continue to fight against "anti-national" forces working to weaken the country and asserted that incarceration has only strengthened his resolve. After the Supreme Court granted him bail in the Delhi excise policy case, Kejriwal stepped out of jail and was welcomed resoundingly by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders and supporters.
Addressing the party workers from the sunroof of a vehicle, Kejriwal, clad in a blue shirt, raised slogans such as "Inquilab Zindabad" and "Vande Mataram".
"These anti-national forces trying to weaken the country, divide it.... I have always fought against them and will continue fighting against them," he said and raised the slogan of "Bharat Mata Ki Jai".
The chief minister, who was arrested on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money-laundering case linked to the excise policy and then by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in June in a corruption case linked to the policy, stressed that the time spent in jail has only strengthened his resolve.
"I have struggled and braved huge difficulties, but god has supported me in every step. He has supported me because I was truthful. They put me in jail. They thought that by putting me in jail, they would break my morale. My resolve has grown 100 times stronger, and my strength has grown 100 times.
"The thick walls of the jail and the bars cannot break me," he said. He thanked those who prayed for his release from jail. "I want to thank god for whose blessings I came out today. Lakhs of people prayed for me, went to temples, mosques, gurdwaras to pray for me. I want to thank all of them and those who came here braving the rain. My life is dedicated to the country. Every moment of my life, every drop of my blood is dedicated to the country," he said.
Hundreds of AAP workers and senior party leaders, including Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, were waiting outside the prison to welcome Kejriwal.
Drenched in rain, Mann and Sisodia raised slogans atop a truck hailing Kejriwal. Slogans like "Jail ke taale toot gaye, Kejriwal chhoot gaye" and "Bhrastachaar ka ek hi kaal, Kejriwal, Kejriwal" rent the air.