Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday claimed that his counterpart in Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal, who is currently lodged in Tihar jail, is being treated like a “terrorist” and denied facilities given even to hardcore criminals.
Talking to reporters after meeting Kejriwal in Tihar jail, Mann said, “We had a meeting of half an hour. CM Arvind Kejriwal is being treated like a terrorist in jail. We were made to talk on the phone through the partitioned glass. The glass was also very dirty, we could not even see each other’s faces clearly.”
“Arvind Kejriwal’s only fault is that he built schools and hospitals and made electricity and water free for the people. That’s why he is not even getting the facilities that hardcore criminals get,” he said.
The Punjab Chief Minister further said, “According to the rules of the jail manual, face-to-face meeting can be allowed to the accused if he has good conduct in the jail. Arvind Kejriwal is a staunchly honest person, who started the politics of transparency. Very sad to see such behaviour meted out to him today.”
Denying the allegation that there has been a defection in the AAP after Kejriwal’s arrest, he said, “AAP is a disciplined party and it is completely together and united. We all stand with Arvind Kejriwal like a rock. He will come out of jail soon.”
“When the results of Lok Sabha elections come on June 4, AAP will emerge as a very big party. Overall, Kejriwal was worried about the country and the Constitution. Only if the Constitution will survive, the party will survive,” he added.
The Punjab Chief Minister was accompanied by AAP’s national General Secretary (Organisation) Sandeep Pathak.