Kejriwal dares PM Modi to call Delhi elections after court relief

Hours after a trial court discharged him and 22 others in the alleged excise policy case, Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal launched a blistering attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, daring him to dissolve the Delhi Assembly and seek a fresh mandate immediately.

“If you have the courage, hold elections in Delhi today,” Kejriwal said at a press conference at the AAP headquarters. “If you win more than 10 of the 70 seats, I will leave politics.”

The former chief minister described the court’s order as “historic”, asserting that it had exposed what he called a politically motivated conspiracy engineered through central agencies. He alleged that the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate were used to frame him and other AAP leaders in what the BJP repeatedly labeled a “liquor scam”.

Referring to the detailed court order, Kejriwal claimed the judge found “not a shred of evidence” to prosecute the case. “These are not my words; these are the court’s words,” he said, thanking the judge for showing “courage” in what he described as an atmosphere of institutional intimidation.

Flanked by senior AAP leaders including Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, Kejriwal escalated his attack, directly accusing Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah of plotting to “destroy the AAP”.

“They could not defeat us in Delhi. They could not stand before our work. So they hatched this conspiracy,” he alleged, demanding an apology to the country.

In a dramatic flourish, Kejriwal claimed that after failing to politically damage him through arrests and investigations, “only one option” remained for his opponents — to eliminate him physically. “You could not harm Kejriwal,” he said, warning that he would not be silenced.

The AAP chief sought to recast the narrative around his tenure, contrasting his government’s record with what he called the BJP’s failures. “We built 500 schools; you build 5,000. We set up 200 mohalla clinics; you create 20,000. Show the people you can do better work,” he said, accusing the BJP of leaving Delhi grappling with crumbling roads, strained hospitals, water shortages and pollution.

He also took aim at Modi’s foreign policy posture, alleging that the Prime Minister appeared timid in dealings with the United States and President Donald Trump.

Earlier in the day, speaking outside Rouse Avenue Court, Kejriwal grew emotional, saying the allegations had tarnished his hard-earned reputation. “They threw mud at us. They said Kejriwal is corrupt. Today it has been proven that we are honest,” he said, his voice breaking.

He maintained that he had chosen silence after the AAP’s electoral defeat last year, waiting for legal vindication. “Today, I feel a heavy weight has been lifted from my heart,” he said.

Kejriwal predicted that the Enforcement Directorate’s parallel case would also collapse, arguing that it was built on the same foundations as the CBI’s prosecution. He said his legal team would move court next week.

The BJP, however, dismissed his claims of vindication. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva accused Kejriwal and Sisodia of attempting to destroy evidence and said voters had already delivered their verdict by voting the AAP out of power.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the trial court’s order merely reflected a lack of sufficient evidence at this stage and emphasised that the legal process was not over. “Insufficient evidence and complete innocence are two different things,” she said, adding that the matter could still reach the High Court.

For now, Kejriwal has chosen confrontation over caution — turning a courtroom reprieve into a political referendum challenge, and daring the BJP to test its strength in the capital once again.