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In an interaction with PTI editors at the agency’s headquarters here, Bharadwaj, who is also a cabinet minister in the Delhi government, said Sunita Kejriwal has always said that she is the ”messenger” of the Delhi chief minister who is currently in jail.
Noting that the politics of a party does not revolve just around its manifesto, Bharadwaj said the support base and the emotional connection between the cadre and the top leadership also plays a crucial role in keeping an organisation together.
Sunita Kejriwal’s presence has had a positive impact, he asserted.
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Sunita Kejriwal has addressed three digital briefings so far, in which she read out his messages from the ED custody and Tihar jail.
In a political debut of sorts, she read out his message at the INDIA bloc ‘maharally’ on March 31.
”Wives of three of our leaders – Satyendar Jain, Sanjay Singh, Arvind Kejriwal – attending the rally sends a big message. BJP’s strategy is that ‘we arrested their leaders, now they will surrender before us’. But when their wives come on the stage and say ‘we will not surrender’, it shows that they (leaders) might be in jail, but their families have not weakened. When Arvind Kejriwal’s wife was there (at the INDIA bloc rally), it made an emotional connect with the party cadre,” he stressed.
Kejriwal, arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case linked to the Delhi government’s now-scrapped excise policy, is in judicial custody till April 15. Singh was granted bail in the same case while Sisodia is in jail. Jain is in jail in connection with a separate money laundering case.
Asked if Sunita Kejriwal will campaign for the party in the Lok Sabha polls, he said, ”We would love if this thing happens… if Sunita ji does take part in campaigning but it is her personal decision.” On further prodding whether there was some kind of ”messaging” in Sunita Kejriwal taking centre stage after her husband’s arrest, the minister replied in the negative.
AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, who too was arrested in the excise policy case and received bail on Wednesday, had met Sunita Kejriwal immediately after getting out of jail and was seen touching her feet.
Talking about it, the minister said if someone’s elder brother is in some difficulty, he is duty-bound to look after his family.
”This is our culture. The BJP was saying that there would be fights among the party members after Kejriwal’s arrest. Sanjay Singh considers Arvind Kejriwal his family, his elder brother. So, he touched her (Sunita Kejriwal) feet. We are working as one unit and one family,” he said.