Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was 'party to the criminal conspiracy' of the formulation and implementation of the Delhi Excise Policy since the beginning, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has alleged in its latest supplementary charge sheet in the case.
From the time he first rose to prominence during the movement against the then UPA government, Arvind Kejriwal has regularly grabbed headlines for his surprise moves and decisions. Here are 10 such instances.
"I had learnt from reliable sources a few months back that Satyendar Jain was going to be arrested in a fake case and now I have learnt from the same sources that Manish Sisodia is going to be arrested in the next few days in another fake case," Kejriwal said at a media briefing.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced on Sunday that he would resign after two days and sought early polls in the national capital while vowing not to sit in the chief minister's chair till people give him a 'certificate of honesty'.
The Aam Aadmi Party led by its chief minister designate Atishi staked claim to form a new government in Delhi on Tuesday shortly after Arvind Kejriwal resigned from the post, an effort seen as a bold gambit to seize the initiative ahead of assembly elections due in five months.
A Delhi court on Wednesday allowed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to formally arrest Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the alleged excise scam.
Liquor businessman Magunta Sreenivasalu Reddy (a TDP MP) met Kejriwal on March 16, 2021 in his office at the Delhi Secretariat and requested him to provide support in his liquor business in the national capital by tweaking the Excise Policy 2021-22 which was then in the making, the agency said in its chargesheet against K Kavitha.
Kejriwal has filed two separate petitions challenging the denial of bail and against his arrest by the CBI in the corruption case filed by the central agency.
Following the results on Saturday, Maliwal attacked AAP for losing Delhi assembly elections, stating that god "punishes" those who commit crime against woman.
According to sources, when Atishi arrived to submit her resignation at the Raj Nivas, the Delhi LG Saxena reminded her how he had repeatedly cautioned the government on public interest issues, particularly on cleaning of the Yamuna River.
Here is a snapshot of what worked for the BJP and what worked against the AAP in the Delhi assembly elections.
During the arguments, the Kejriwal's counsel told the court that the entire case upon the CM rests on statements.
Chief Minister-designate Rekha Gupta and her Council of Ministers will take oath at the Ramlila Maidan on Thursday afternoon in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, marking a return of the BJP in Delhi after 26 years.
Kejriwal, who was arrested on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the same case and later by the CBI which was probing corruption charges, stepped out after spending 155 days in Tihar jail. The AAP supremo, who was earlier granted three-week interim bail in the ED case, was given a resounding welcome by his party leaders and supporters who were drenched in heavy rain. Addressing party workers from the top of an SUV, Kejriwal, sporting a half-sleeve blue shirt, raised 'Inquilab Zindabad' and 'Vande Mataram' slogans.
Atishi, former Delhi chief minister and MLA from Kalkaji constituency, was chosen as the Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly at a meeting of AAP MLAs on Sunday. AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal was also present at the meeting. Atishi, who was proposed by MLA Sanjeev Jha, thanked Kejriwal and the MLAs for their support. She promised to play a strong opposition role in the House, raise issues with full force, and ensure the BJP fulfils its promises. The first session of the Delhi Assembly will begin on February 24, with the BJP government planning to table pending CAG reports against the performance of the previous AAP government.
'AAP lost as it failed to understand the need to serve people selflessly and took the wrong path. Money took the front seat which dented AAP's image, leading to its defeat'
Congress received more votes than the wining margin in 14 constituencies where Bharatiya Janata Party emerged victorious defeating Aam Aadmi Party candidates, including former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and his former deputy Manish Sisodia.
Allegations of corruption against its leaders, constant bickering with the lieutenant governor over governance issues and a spirited campaign conducted by the Bharatiya Janata Party were enough to ensure a rout of the Aam Aadmi Party in the Delhi assembly polls, the results of which were declared on Saturday.
Amid the Bharatiya Janata Party's sweeping victory in the Delhi assembly polls, Chief Minister Atishi and three ministers in the outgoing Aam Aadmi Party government -- Gopal Rai, Mukesh Ahlawat and Imran Hussain -- managed to secure wins on Saturday, offering a rare consolation for the party as its big guns, including Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia, suffered defeats.
Raut said a Congress-AAP alliance would have crushed the BJP in Delhi assembly polls, as counting trends show the Arvind Kejriwal-led party losing many seats amid the saffron surge.
A Delhi court has directed to preserve CCTV camera footage.
Sticking onto his stance of calling the allegations against him 'false', AAP leader Manish Sisodia in his resignation letter said that it is unfortunate that despite working with honesty and truthfulness continuously for eight years, corruption charges are being levelled against him.
Whether AAP bounces back or fades into political oblivion will depend on its strategy in the coming months.
As Delhi assembly results were declared on Saturday, here is a look at how prominent leaders fared.
Opposition leaders in Punjab have claimed that the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) defeat in the Delhi Assembly polls signals the beginning of its downfall in the state as well. They cited the party's inability to deliver on promises and allegations of corruption as reasons for the setback in Delhi and predicted a similar fate for the AAP in Punjab, where it is currently in power.
Congress does unto AAP what Kejriwal's party had done to it in Haryana.
Addressing a press conference a day after Maliwal alleged that a member of Kejriwal's personal staff "assaulted" her, Singh said AAP supremo Kejriwal will take strict action in the matter.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was brought to Tihar Jail in New Delhi on Monday after a city court sent him to judicial custody till April 15, officials said.
The Sena chief said he had to honour "yuti dharma".
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal mounted a blazing campaign in the hot summer after he was released from the Tihar jail on interim bail on May 10, drawing huge crowds at rallies and roadshows, but it proved insufficient to propel his Aam Aadmi Party past the Bharartiya Janata Party challenge in the national capital.
Kejriwal asserted that his party could not be crushed by sending its leaders to jail.
President Droupadi Murmu has approved the registration of an FIR against AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain in an alleged scam of Rs 2,000 crore in the construction of classrooms in Delhi government schools. The alleged scam involves the construction of around 12,748 classrooms at an inflated cost, according to a report by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of the Delhi government. The ACB report alleged that the classrooms were constructed at a rate of Rs 8,800 per square feet, whereas the average construction cost was around Rs 1,500 per square feet. The President's approval came under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal 'directly used' part of the alleged Rs 100 crore generated from the 'kickbacks' of the Delhi excise policy 'scam' by staying in a luxury hotel in Goa, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has claimed in its charge sheet filed against the Aam Aadmi Party supremo.
Referring to Abdullah's comments, Saamana claimed that Congress actively contributed to AAP's defeat in at least 14 seats in Delhi, which could have been avoided.
The Aam Aadmi Party on Monday announced its second list of 20 candidates for the upcoming Delhi assembly polls, fielding senior party leader Manish Sisodia from the Jangpura seat.
'It could backfire on the BJP and boost the Opposition parties.'
A Delhi court on Monday sent Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to judicial custody till April 15, noting the Enforcement Directorate's contention that his release could hamper the investigation into the Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case.
A court in New Delhi on Thursday extended the Enforcement Directorate custody of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal till April 1 in the excise policy case.
Aam Aadmi Party convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday asserted that the Bharatiya Janata Party will not form the government on June 4 and said if the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) comes to power, the direction and fate of the country will change.