In a bitter jolt to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ahead of the assembly elections in Punjab, a local court today framed charges against accused AAP Convenor Arvind Kejriwal and leaders Sanjay Singh and Ashish Khetan in a criminal defamation case filed against them by Punjab Revenue minister Bikram Singh Majithia. Amidst joyous scenes amongst supporters of Mr Majithia who collected in large numbers to express solidarity with their leader, the akali leader said “today is a very emotional day for me. This battle has all along been one of standing up to one’s honour. My stand has finally been vindicated. Truth has won. I stand on the side of truth. Kejriwal and his gang have been exposed as liars and purveyors of deceit and calumny”. Majithia said the framing of charges against the top AAP leadership was also a victory for Punjabis who had won back their honour. “The attempts being made by Kejriwal and his gang of outsiders to defame Punjab and its youth have been exposed. Now the PAAP party has no moral right to represent Punjabis. Its leaders should simply pack up their bags and go back to Delhi and Eastern Uttar Pradesh and let Punjabis decide their own fate”.
Expressing deep satisfaction with the court verdict, Mr Majithia said Arvind Kejriwal should resign as Delhi chief minister immediately. He said no public servant had any moral right to remain in office after framing of charges against him by the courts of the land. “If you do not resign even now it will prove that you are not loyal to your own party’s constitution. But I think it is too much to expect from you to act honourably. You threw out AAP founders like Prashant Bhushan and Yogender Yadav. You have turned a blind eye to the 3Cs which are rampant in AAP – Crime, Corruption and Characterless behaviour. Every day your party is stooping to new levels of depravity. Explaining his stand to the media, Mr Majithia said he would take his battle to its logical conclusion. “Earlier Arvind Kejriwal was known as Accused Arvind Kejriwal. Today he has become Charge Sheeted Arvind Kejriwal. Soon he is likely to become Convicted Arvind Kejriwal”. Stating that he had unshakable faith in the Almighty above and the hon’ble courts below, Mr Majithia said he would not rest till the case was not taken to its logical conclusion. “Jail is the only road ahead for Arvind Kejriwal who has already achieved the unique distinction of being number one chief minister in the history of the country as far as registration of criminal cases against a CM is concerned”. Explaining the case, Mr Majithia said the court had earlier summoned the accused and now had also framed charges against all three of them.
He said had there been even an iota of evidence against him the accused had ample opportunity to bring it before the Court and escape the framing of charges. “I dare Kejriwal and his team to apply for a day-to-day hearing. His place in the jails of Punjab will be confirmed in no time”. The akali leader said AAP and its leaders had gravely miscalculated by striking at the honour of Punjabis. “A Punjabi will never let his honour or that of his people be compromised in any manner. AAP is already realizing the folly of its politics of lies and deceit. The people have already rejected them. This has been witnessed twice in succession recently with farmers boycotting a call for protests in mandis and also refusing to collect at Kapoori village adjoining the SYL. The malicious propaganda launched by AAP and its senior leadership including the three against whom charges have been framed today has been exposed today. The court of law has passed its verdict today and the court of the people will slap their judgment on their faces in February 2017”. The court today framed charges against the three accused for their defamatory remarks made at the Shri Muktsar Sahib rally, the Amritsar nukad meetings and at a press conference in Chandigarh.