Ralegan Siddhi, Maharashtra – Social activist Anna Hazare on Friday welcomed the discharge of AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal in the excise policy case, stating that the judiciary is supreme and its verdict must be respected. The court in Delhi discharged Kejriwal, his deputy Manish Sisodia, and 21 others, noting that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) failed to find any “overarching conspiracy or criminal intent” in the politically sensitive liquor-policy case.
Kejriwal, arrested in March 2024 by the Enforcement Directorate and later the CBI, had spent 155 days in jail before being released on bail. Hazare emphasized that his previous critical remarks against Kejriwal were made before any judicial decision, and now the verdict clears the former Delhi CM of wrongdoing.
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“Whatever I had said about Arvind Kejriwal regarding his involvement in the case was before any decision had come from the judiciary. Now the judiciary has given its verdict that he had no role in the wrongdoing. We have to accept the verdict,” Hazare told reporters at his native village.
The anti-corruption crusader also urged Kejriwal to focus on working for society and the country rather than personal or party interests. Hazare described Kejriwal and Sisodia as his “karyakartas”, noting their key roles in the 2011 ‘India Against Corruption’ movement that pushed for the Jan Lokpal Bill and shook the Congress-led UPA government.
Hazare highlighted the importance of a strong judiciary in maintaining law and order in a diverse country like India. “In the absence of a strong judiciary, criminal elements would gain the upper hand, and there would be a riot-like situation,” he added.
The former activist-turned-politician Kejriwal had formed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) after the movement, winning multiple Delhi elections. Despite past disagreements, Hazare’s comments underscore the need to respect judicial decisions and uphold democratic processes.
