Arvind Kejriwal resigns: From excise policy case to Swati Maliwal episode – Top 5 controversies in 3rd term of Delhi CM

Arvind Kejriwal submitted his resignation as Chief Minister of Delhi to Lieutenant Governor (L-G) VK Saxena on September 17. Atishi, the outgoing chief minister’s close confidant has also staked claim to form the next government in the national capital.

The Aam Aadmi Party chief, Kejriwal was sworn in as chief minister of Delhi for the third term on February 16, 2020 after the party won the Delhi assembly polls bagging 62 of the 70  seats

Kejriwal’s third term as chief minister was marred with a host of controversies including the biggest of them – the allegation of money laundering the in the Delhi Excise Policy case.

Here are 5 top controversies that impacted brand AAP in Kejriwal’s third term:

1- Delhi Excise Policy Case -2021-22

AAP and its leaders were hit by allegations of money laundering in what is popularly known as the Delhi Excise Policy case.  The Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) – country’s two premier investigation – alleged that there were irregularities during the modification of Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22, with undue favours granted to licence holders. 

ED chargesheet said that the policy was, in fact, formulated by top leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party to generate and channel illegal funds for themselves.

The charges eventually led to arrest of top AAP leadership – Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, among other accused. All these leaders have been released on bail by Supreme Court since. The policy, implemented in November 2021, was scrapped in September 2022 amid corruption allegations.

2-Swati Maliwal Row- May 2024

AAP Rajya Sabha member and former chief of Delhi Commission for Women, Swati Maliwal alleged that Bibhav Kumar, Arvind Kejriwal’s close aide, assaulted her at the Chief Minister’s residence on May 13, kicking a political storm in the national capital. 

The AAP, which earlier said Kejriwal aide’s “misbehaved” with Maliwal and will face action, later alleged she was a part of a BJP conspiracy against Kejriwal. Kumar was later arrested only to be released on bail earlier this month.

3- CAA will take jobs- March 2034

Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on sparked a political row in March this year when he claimed that if one crore people come to India after the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act there will be ‘riots all around’. He also termed the implementation of the law as BJP’s “dirty vote bank politics” ahead of the Lok Sabha elections and that that the implementation of CAA will take away jobs meant for India’s youth.

The BJP hit back strongly, accusing Kejriwal, who is also the national convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), of being “anti-Hindu, anti-Sikh and anti-Buddhist”.

Kejriwal’s remarks had come days after the government notified implementation of the CAA, weeks before the Lok Sabha elections 2024. The contentious law paves the way for citizenship to undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan who entered India before December 31, 2014.  

CAA faced numerous delays and continued criticism from the Opposition ranks. More than 100 people have lost their lives to protests and consequent police action since it was passed in December 2019.

4- The ₹45 crore ‘Sheesh Mahal’ renovation- 2023

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in April 2023 that ₹45 crore was spent on the “beautification” of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s official residence in the Civil Lines area of the city and demanded his resignation on “moral” ground.

The 6 Flagstaff Marg residence of the chief minister has been under the scanner over the renovation. An enquiry into the allegations is underway. At least three engineers have been suspended in the case so far.

5-The Tablighi Jamaat row – 2020

In November 2020, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi lashed out at Kejriwal called him ‘Modi of 2013,’ for alleging allegedly defaming the Muslim community during the COVID-19 pandemic and didn’t do anything to stop the February, 2020 Northeast Delhi riots. 

Kejriwal called the organisers of the gathering at the Nizamuddin Markaz in Delhi ‘irresponsible’ on March 12 and 13, 2020 for letting people from across the country and abroad had gathered there. 

The Tablighi Jamaat congregation that was organised at the venue had been blamed for thousands of coronavirus cases around the country.

“This disease has gripped the entire world. At a time like this, this (holding a gathering) was a very irresponsible thing. Navratras are on and there are usually many people in temples, but there is no one this time. Gurdwaras are shut, people are not coming to the masjid to pray and are praying at home. Mecca is empty, Vatican City is empty. At such a time, to have held such a big gathering was wrong,” Kejriwal had said.