The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Goa unit on Tuesday held a felicitation ceremony in Panjim for its national convenor Arvind Kejriwal following his dis charge in the alleged liquor policy case, projecting the development as a political vindication. The event, attended by party leaders, volun teers and supporters from across the State, also wit nessed the felicitation of AAP’s first corporator Jack Sukhija after his win in the CCP elections, and An tonio Leao Fernandes for securing a seat in the Zilla Panchayat polls. Addressing the gath ering, Kejriwal described the case as an ‘agniparik sha’ for the party, assert ing that allegations of Rs 100 crore corruption had collapsed under judicial scrutiny. He said that despite months of investigation, “no evidence was found and even a 600-page court order confirmed that there was not enough material to even begin a trial.”
Referring to the incarceration of senior leaders, he add ed that several top AAP figures, including Manish Sisodia, spent months in jail, “yet none were found guilty.” Escalating his political attack, Kejriwal alleged that the case was part of a larger conspiracy by the BJP to curb AAP’s rise. He said that despite deploying “power, money and central agencies,” the BJP failed to defeat AAP elector ally and instead resorted to arrests and defamation. He argued that AAP’s governance model — including schools, Mohalla Clinics, and welfare measures in Delhi and Punjab — had unsettled its rivals. Turning to Goa, Kejriwal flagged civic issues in Ponda, pointing to “garbage-filled roads, dirty sewage in places like Curti, overflowing gutters and poor infrastructure,” and accused the BJP government of neglecting basic gov ernance. “If they think they can finish me politically, the only way left is to kill Kejriwal or prove themselves by do ing more honest work than I have — because as long as I stand, I will keep fighting for honest politics and for the people,” he said. AAP Goa in-charge Atishi said the development had re inforced public faith in the party, claiming that attempts to link Goa to the alleged scam were “completely baseless.” She added that while AAP leaders faced cases, the grow ing wealth of several BJP leaders raised “serious questions about corruption.” State president Valmiki Naik termed the outcome a “victory of honest politics over desperate attempts of the power-hungry,” and said efforts to link Goa to the case had been aimed at defaming the party but had now “exposed the conspiracy.” AAP MLAs Cruz Silva and Venzy Viegas also framed the development as a political turning point. Silva said the ver dict showed that “truth can be delayed but never buried,” calling it a rebuttal to BJP’s propaganda. Viegas alleged that attempts were made to malign and divide the party, but said AAP remained united and would continue to push its governance model centred on healthcare, education and infrastructure, while Goa “continues to suffer from neglect under BJP rule.” The party said the episode had strengthened its resolve to expand its base in Goa and position itself as a credible alternative in the upcoming elections.
