Nasheman

India's largest selling Urdu weekly, now also in English

You are here: Home / Archives for Arvind Kejriwal

Will step in if Centre obstructs Delhi Janlokpal Bill: Anna Hazare

by

Anna-Hazare

Ralegan Siddhi: Social activist Anna Hazare today said he will step in if the NDA government at the Centre puts obstructions in the way of Janlokpal Bill, introduced in Delhi Assembly by the AAP government.

The anti-corruption crusader was talking to reporters after Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Kumar Vishwas and Sanjay Singh met him at his native Ralegan Siddhi village in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar district to brief him on the salient features of the Janlokpal Bill, tabled in Delhi Assembly by the Arvind Kejriwal government yesterday.

Hazare said that during his discussions with the AAP leaders, he expressed apprehension that the Centre may pose obstructions as the legislation provides for probing corruption in Delhi, where the central government offices are located.

“If that is the case then I assured them of my full support. I told them I am with them,” Hazare said when asked if he would launch an agitation on the issue.

He said the central government lacks the will to fight corruption and there should be no “parochial attitude” on the issue of dealing with graft.

Hazare and some top activists of his team had in 2012 parted ways with the Kejriwal-led group, opposing their plans to form a political party, after a roller-coaster ride of 18 months in which they came together to run a high-steam anti-graft movement. One of its prominent poll promises, the AAP emphasised that the Bill is similar to its original 2011 version.

It will empower the proposed ombudsman to act against any public servant in the national capital, including those of the Centre.

While the draft bill of 2015 states that no prosecution or legal proceedings can be initiated against the Janlokpal or any staff member of the Janlokpal office, AAP leaders said the process of impeachment will be applied for removal of any member of the Lokpal.

The Bill has to be cleared by the Lieutenant Governor before it becomes a law.

AAP’s Lokpal ‘mahajokepal’, Bhushan tears into Kejriwal

by

A file photo of activist-lawyer Prashant Bhushan. Photo: PTI

A file photo of activist-lawyer Prashant Bhushan. Photo: PTI

New Delhi: Activist-lawyer Prashant Bhushan today accused Arvind Kejriwal of playing the “biggest fraud” on people by diluting the provisions of the Jan Lokpal draft of the Anna movement while Shanti Bhushan demanded the Delhi Chief Minister’s resignation.

Bhushan read out certain provisions of the draft Bill, that is yet to be made public by the Delhi government. He claimed that Ministers and officials of the Centre were put under the ambit of the proposed legislation “deliberately” to provoke confrontation.

He said Kejriwal does not like to be questioned like “Modi” so he has chosen not to make the contents of the Bill public.

“No activist or movement in India’s history has played such a big fraud with people. This will only ensure that the Central government does not approve and the Bill never gets passed. Kejriwal never had the intention to form a strong Lokpal body,” the former AAP leader said.

Dissident AAP MLA Pankaj Pushkar, who was also present at the presser at Bhushan’s Noida residence, claimed that he had managed to get hold of its copy in his capacity as a member of the Business Advisory Committee.

Bhushan questioned the appointment and removal processes of the Lokpal laid out in the Bill, which was recently cleared by the AAP Cabinet, saying they would put the Ombudsman at the mercy of the city government.

The Bill purportedly says that a four-member selection committee, comprising the Chief Minister, Speaker, Leader of Opposition and Delhi High Court Chief Justice would appoint the Lokpal, while the removal can be ensured by a motion in the Assembly with two-thirds majority.

“Even the Centre’s Lokpal Act, which has been termed as jokepal by Kejriwal, is stronger than this Bill. This is a ‘mahajokepal’. Kejriwal must resign from office,” senior Bhushan said.

They said by expanding the jurisdiction of the Lokpal, by proposing to bring Centre under its ambit was uncalled for and aimed at stoking another fight. “In all the draft Lokpals that we have prepared till date, state Lokayuktas are not supposed to have any such powers.”

The father-son duo also slammed the alleged provision which stipulates one-year imprisonement for false complaints, which they said will only deter complainants. “So the falsity is to be decided by a sarkari lokpal?” they asked.

“We can now understand why this draft was kept under the wraps. The plan was to pass this maha jokepal Bill and then play victim by claiming that the Centre is obstructing it. Will say nahi karne diya ji,” Bhushan said in a mocking tone.

(Agencies)

Delhi’s AAP government clears Jan Lokpal Bill

by

Jan Lokpal bill

New Delhi: Under attack for delaying the tabling of the Jan Lokpal bill in the Delhi legislative assembly, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday cleared the anti-graft legislation an issue on which the party was formed three years ago.

“There was a big movement in the country to bring a strict Lokpal. There was a need for a strict Lokpal which would be more than a slogan and a mere formality,” Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said.

“The bill which Anna (Hazare)-ji had talked about has been cleared by the Delhi cabinet as the Delhi Jan Lokpal Bill 2015. There is no change to the bill which Anna-ji had proposed,” he told reporters after the cabinet meeting.

Sisodia was referring to the anti-graft legislation envisaged and vociferously demanded by social activist Hazare who was supported by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who was then an activist in 2011.

However, Kejrwal went on to set up the AAP in November 2012, when the Congress-led central government did not concede to Hazare’s version of the bill. Hazare did not approve of Kejriwal’s move.

The bill was cleared by the cabinet on the first day of the winter session of the Delhi assembly, which got off to a stormy start with the BJP demanding tabling of the bill.

Asked when the legislation will be tabled in the assembly, Sisodia said the date would be decided by the Business Advisory Committee.

Until Tuesday, the government was considering pushing amendments to the existing Delhi Lokayukta Act rather than moving for the much-awaited Jan Lokpal Bill, it was learnt.

The bill, which envisages a strong institution of ombudsman, is unlikely to become law soon since it needs the approval of the central government with which the AAP government is locked in a bitter battle.

Officials said the bill was on the lines of the Lokayukta Act in Uttarakhand which Kejriwal had helped to draft in 2011.

The chief minister will come under the purview of the ombudsman under the Delhi Jan Lokpal Bill, they said.

“Time-bound investigation in six months, and attachment of property and assets are some of the key features of this legislation. All other provisions are similar to the Uttarakhand Lokayukta Act,” an official said.

In February 2014, Arvind Kejriwal resigned as the chief minister as the Congress and the BJP opposed the tabling of the Jan Lokpal Bill, citing that the legislation needed the Centre’s approval first.

With the promise of bringing the bill, the AAP again stormed to power in February this year, winning 67 of the 70 seats.

Kejriwal had promised to bring the legislation in the first session of the fresh assembly.

(Agencies)

Kejriwal visits turmoil-hit Punjab, condemns sacrilege acts

by

Arvind Kejriwal Golden Temple

Amritsar: Terming as painful the alleged incidents of desecration of holy books, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today said it was a “willful act” to disturb Punjab as he prayed at the Golden Temple here for “return of peace” in the state.

It “is unfortunate and painful. It seems it is a willful act by somebody who wanted to disturb peace in the state,” Kejriwal told reporters here after he arrived on his first visit to Punjab since becoming the Chief Minister in February and was set to meet families of two Sikhs killed in police firing during anti-desecration protests at Faridkot.

The AAP leader condemned the police action, saying it was wrong to use force against people who were protesting peacefully against acts of sacrilege.

Kejriwal said it was the responsibility of Punjab government to arrest the real culprits behind the incidents of desecration of holy books, saying no innocent person should be slapped with “false cases”.

He refused to answer more queries, saying he was here to pray for peace in Punjab.

“Golden Temple has great spiritual power and I prayed before the Almighty for early peace and normalcy to get rid of current turmoil in Punjab,” he said after paying obeisance at the Sikh shrine.

His visit to Punjab assumes significance as AAP is eying the 2017 Assembly polls and has re-structured its unit in the state, where it won its four seats in the last Lok Sabaha elections. The fledgling AAP recently suspended two of the MPs for “anti-party” activities.

While paying obeisance at the Sanctum Sanctorum of the Golden Temple, Kejriwal preferred to go inside along with other devotees, ignoring the VIP passage.Thereafter, he also paid obeisance in front of Akal Takht (the highest Sikh Temporal Seat).

Earlier before entering Golden Temple, he was he was honoured with Siropa (robe of honour) and presented a set of Sikh religious books at the information centre.
However, he did not register his visit in the visitors’ book of the shrine.

After paying obeisance, he went to Kotkapura by road to meet families of two persons who were killed in police firing.

Alleged incidents of sacrilege took place at seven villages in the state in the recent past plunging the state into turmoil with Sikh protesters blocking highways and other key roads.

Police have so far arrested six persons, mostly working in Sikh shrines, in connection with the sacrilege incidents.

Punjab police has alleged “foreign hand” behind the incidents of sacrilege even as the Centre has sought a report from the Punjab government on the matter.

(Agencies)

Two minors brutally gang-raped in Delhi; Kejriwal asks what Modi is doing?

by

rape

New Delhi: Two minors were brutally gangraped in the city, incidents which come close on the heels of the rape of a four-year-old girl in northwest Delhi last week.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal expressed concern over the “repeated” rape of minors in the city and asked what the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Delhi LG were doing.

While a two-and-a-half-year-old girl was raped in Nihal Vihar area of west Delhi yesterday, a 5-year-old girl was allegedly gangraped by three men who were later arrested by the police in East Delhi’s Anand Vihar.

The two-and-a-half-year-old girl was kidnapped and allegedly gangraped by two bike-borne men who picked her up last night from outside her home in Nihal Vihar area of south-west Delhi.

The girl was later found by the locals in a park and was profusely bleeding. She was rushed to Sanjay Gandhi Hospital where she is undergoing treatment, police said.

A case has been registered under relevant Sections of IPC and POCSO Act and a manhunt has been launched to arrest the accused, said a senior police officer.

In other incident, three men who were allegedly under the influence of intoxicants gangraped a 5-year-old girl last evening in Anand Vihar area of east Delhi, police said.

The victim, who sustained severe injuries to her private parts, was rushed to GTB Hospital. The accused Prakash, Rewati and Sitaram were caught by the locals after they heard the shrieks of the girl. The accused were thrashed and later handed over to police.

A case has been registered against them under relevant Sections of IPC and POCSO at Anand Vihar Police Station, DCP of East district police Bhairon Singh Gurjar said.

Taking a grim view of the cases, the Chief Minister said, “Repeated rape of minors is shameful and worrying. Delhi Police has completely failed to provide safety. What are the PM and his LG doing?” “Am on my way to hospitals to meet rape victims,” he tweeted.

Chairperson of Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) Swati Maliwal, who visited the victims in hospitals, termed the incidents as “absolutely disgusting” and “shameful.”

“Woke up to 2 incidents of gangrape of a 2.5-year-old n 5-year-old. Bleeding not stopping for 2.5-year-old,” she tweeted.

“When will Delhi wake up? Till when will girls continue to be brutalised in the Indian capital. Gangrape of 2.5-year n 5-year-old. Shameful,” she said in another tweet. Last week a four-year-old girl was brutally raped in the city.

(Agencies)

Narendra Modi losing, Nitish Kumar winning Bihar: Arvind Kejriwal

by

Arvind Kejriwal

New Delhi: As the second phase of Bihar polls was underway, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday anticipated a victory for Nitish Kumar and claimed that the BJP, led by Narendra Modi, was all set to “badly” lose the elections.

The AAP convenor said that incumbent Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will get another shot at power. Kejriwal has openly endorsed Kumar’s candidature.

“As per my information, Modiji is losing Bihar elections badly. Nitishji is winning the polls,” Kejriwal tweeted.

Kejriwal had extended full support to his Bihar counterpart’s candidature at a conclave organised by the Delhi government in the capital in August.

However, he did not campaign for the JD(U) in the ongoing polls.

Making common cause against Modi, the duo also attacked him for announcing a Rs 1.25 lakh crore package for the election-bound state.

AAP has had to walk a tightrope in supporting Nitish as his party JD(U) is part of a grand alliance of which Lalu Prasad-led RJD is also a part.

(PTI)

Kejriwal sacks food minister for ‘corruption’

by

Asim Ahmed Khan

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday sacked Food Minister Asim Ahmed Khan on charges of demanding a bribe from a builder.

Announcing the sacking at a press conference where he played a recorded tape of a conversation purportedly between Khan and the builder, Kejriwal said the case was being referred to the CBI.

“We won’t tolerate any corruption, even if it is our minister or legislator,” the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader said.

“Till the CBI completes the investigation, he (Khan) will not be a minister,” he said. The food portfolio will go to AAP legislator Imran Hussain, he said.

(Agencies)

Swachh Bharat Abhiyan only ‘showbaazi’: Kejriwal

by

Arvind Kejriwal

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying he has witnessed only “showbaazi” and not any real action in the Swachh Bharat campaign, even as he announced construction of over 750 new toilets in the national capital.

Without naming Narendra Modi, Kejriwal, on the first anniversary of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, said, “Nothing has happened in the last one year. On this day, last year, Swachch Bharat campaign was launched and I along with the citizens of the country had participated in it. There was a hope that perhaps now India will become clean.”

“In the last one year, I haven’t seen any action apart from advertisements or showbaazi. I can’t see any street which has become clean. I want to say that we all should work on this. Let us all talk less and work more,” he added.

“1 yr of swach bharat. Which streets got cleaned as a result of “this campaign”? How much budget spent on it? Time to question symbolism? (sic),” he tweeted.

Kejriwal also said the state government will construct more than 750 new toilets in the national capital.

“Delhi Government has also taken a pledge to build toilets across the slums of Delhi by March 31. The existing toilets in the slums will also be cleaned and water supply will be provided,” Kejriwal said while inaugurating a toilet block in Majnu Ka Tila area.

“Today, AAP govt has added 350 new toilet seats across Delhi in 10 new toilet blocks. In the last six months, 750 toilet seats have been added,” he added.

The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan was launched last year on the 145th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The campaign aims at making India a clean country by 2019, the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

(PTI)

Dadri lynching: Arvind Kejriwal stopped from visiting village

by

Dadri

Greater Noida: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today claimed he was stopped from visiting Bishada village in Dadri where a mob killed a man over rumours that he had eaten beef.

The AAP leader questioned why he was stopped from meeting the family when leaders like Asaduddin Owaisi and Mahesh Sharma were allowed.

Kejriwal, who was accompanied by AAP leaders Kumar Vishwas and Sanjay Singh, said he was was stopped outside the village after locals protested against visitors to the village.

“We r stopped by police n admn. Mahesh Sharma n Owaisi not stopped yest. Then y me? I am most peace loving. Want 2 jst meet Ikhlak’s family,” he tweeted.

Yesterday, AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi had visited Bishada village to console victim Mohammed Iqlakh’s family and had questioned the Prime Minister’s silence on the “pre-planned murder”.

Owaisi had rubbished claims that Iqlakh’s family was attacked because of rumours that it had eaten beef and alleged he was done to death because of his religious persuasion.

“This attack was not because of meat. The SP government, instead of arresting the murderers, is getting a forensic test done on the meat found at the victim’s home. Their mind, which is full of poison, should be examined first. They are treating the victim as accused,” he had said.

Mahesh Sharma, the local BJP MP, had also visited the bereaved family yesterday. He stated that the killing was an “accident” which should not be given a communal colour and over which no politics should be done as it may prove to be “dangerous”.

There were also reports that a group of women had driven out mediapersons and other visitors from the village.

Contingents of Provincial Armed Constabulary and state police have been deployed across the village where prohibitory orders banning assembly of five or more people continued to be in force.

District Magistrate M P Singh had claimed that the situation was under control and reasoned that the incident should be treated as a “solitary case” and not a communal clash as no other Muslim family was affected.

 

(Agencies)

Somnath Bharti an embarrassment to AAP, should surrender: Kejriwal

by

Arvind Kejriwal

New Delhi: In a stern message to AAP MLA Somnath Bharti, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today said the legislator, who is on the run in a domestic violence case filed by his wife, is becoming an embarrassment to the party and he should surrender and cooperate with the police.

Breaking his silence on the row involving his former ministerial colleague, the AAP chief questioned Bharti’s act of going into hiding and asked why he was running away from the police and scared of going to jail.

“Somnath should surrender. Why is he running away? Why is he so scared of going to jail? Now he is becoming embarrassment for party and his family.

“He should cooperate with police,” Kejriwal said in his tweets referring to Bharti, who was the Law Minister during the 49-day stint of AAP government in 2013.

Yesterday, the Delhi High Court rejected Bharti’s anticipatory bail in a case related to domestic violence filed by his wife Lipika. Police teams have been looking for him.

Last week, a local court rejected his anticipatory bail in the same case. The party’s top brass had then expressed its displeasure over his disappearance and asked him to cooperate with the police.

The party has been taking the stand that the Delhi Police has been targeting it. However, Bharti’s act of going into hiding has not gone well with party leadership.

AAP leader Ashutosh today said while police has been “unnecessarily showing a lot of interest” in the case, Bharti should “surrender and present his side of the story”.

“The High Court has rejected his bail… he should come out in open and present his case before the investigating agency. There is no point in running away from the law.. we have respect for the law, we have respect for the courts and we believe that justice will be done,” he said.

(PTI)

KNOW US

GET INVOLVED

PROMOTE

Archives