In a fiery display of public support, former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia’s padyatra stormed into Shahdara, East Delhi, on Thursday, where crowds embraced him with unwavering affection. Addressing the masses, Manish Sisodia took direct aim at the BJP, declaring that despite their desperate attempts, even locking Arvind Kejriwal in a room of soot wouldn’t have a shred of it. He pointed out that the BJP is rattled by the Kejriwal government’s achievements in education, healthcare, and free electricity, leading them to unjustly imprison its leaders.
Senior AAP leader and former Deputy CM of Delhi Manish Sisodia, who came out of jail after 17 months, is taking out a padyatra (foot march) in Delhi from August 16. The padyatra started from the Greater Kailash assembly constituency and is set to reach all the assemblies. Thursday was the 11th padyatra, which concluded at Shahdara Assembly. The padyatra is getting tremendous support from the people of Delhi. There was a huge turnout in the Shahdara padyatra as well.
During this, mothers and sisters gave a grand welcome to their son and brother Manish Sisodia by applying tilak and some people presented pictures of Lord Bajrang Bali and Baba Saheb Dr. Ambedkar. At the same time, supporters raised slogans including ‘Manish Sisodia has come, Kejriwal will also come’, ‘We have worked, we will work’, and ‘Corruption has only one end, Kejriwal-Kejriwal’. On this occasion, many councilors and party workers including Shahdara MLA and Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel were also present.
Thanking the AAP leaders and workers during his padyatra in Shahdara, Manish Sisodia, the father of the education revolution in Delhi said, “I was in jail for 17 months, but you all fought the battle for 17 months. I salute this fight. While in jail, I watched TV and saw my brothers and sisters fighting this battle, and I felt proud. Despite all their (BJP) conspiracies and efforts, the soldiers of the AAP and Arvind Kejriwal stood firm like a fist, united like a family.”
The Ex-Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi further added that in an era where a central government uses the ED and CBI to target four MLAs of any party by issuing a few notices, causing the entire party to fall, causing a whole government to collapse, the AAP remained united despite the terror of the BJP’s CBI and ED,” he continued.
Manish Sisodia expressed gratitude to God for making him a member of a party that continued to fight on the streets even after Arvind Kejriwal, Sanjay Singh, and he was imprisoned. “I thank God and everyone present here,” he said.
“They (BJP) say I walked out smiling from jail, why should I not? Those who have such a strong family walk out smiling. I only had two things: my inner strength, knowing I was not wrong, and my people, my family standing united. A truthful person does not weaken; a liar does. I have no reason to be afraid because I have done nothing wrong. If I had done anything wrong then in jail, I would have thought about what would happen to me, but I knew that I am walking on the path of truth, and I would get what a person walking on the path of truth gets,” he affirmed.
Manish Sisodia shared, “They were afraid because I used to visit schools in Delhi every morning. They were worried because we, under CM Arvind Kejriwal’s leadership, built schools in Delhi that they couldn’t in Ahmedabad. The BJP was rattled seeing our schools, Mohalla Clinics, and zero electricity bills. The BJP has governed for many years in Gujarat, and other states, but wherever they are in power, they have made electricity expensive. It becomes difficult for those earning ₹10,000 to ₹30,000 (per month) to pay their electricity bills. Meanwhile, in Delhi, we made electricity bills zero for the people and reduced rates by half. That’s why they sent us to jail, not because of any wrongdoing.”
Manish Sisodia said that BJP people did not send us to jail because we did something wrong. They imposed such terrorist laws in the name of a so-called liquor scam. Bail is difficult in such laws. They knew that if they imposed corruption laws, we would get bail easily. That is why they imposed laws applicable to terrorists and drug smugglers on us so that we do not get bail soon.
“Am I a terrorist or a drug smuggler that such allegations were made against me and Arvind Kejriwal? But BJP has power and ED-CBI. They can easily misuse it. That is why I was sent to jail for imposing laws under which terrorists are charged,” he asserted.
Manish Sisodia said that for the last week, the orders of the Supreme Court have clearly shown how the BJP has been misusing the ED-CBI and sending opposition leaders to jail by applying the laws applicable to terrorists. Now the Supreme Court has started rapping the ED asking, What are they doing? They arrest anyone put them in jail and take fake statements by coercive measures. You make the statement of a person who is in jail as evidence and arrest somebody on that basis. Now the lies of the BJP are being exposed in front of the Supreme Court. The truth is being revealed in the court about how the BJP and its agency were lying. Today I am proud of the honesty of Arvind Kejriwal. I am proud of the work of my government and the vision of CM Arvind Kejriwal.
Manish Sisodia said that Arvind Kejriwal knows and he repeatedly says that without education our country cannot progress. They put Arvind Kejriwal in jail because no BJP leader thinks like this nor does anyone say such things. No BJP Chief Minister is working on this, they only talk about irrelevant things. BJP is not building schools and neither are they making electricity bills zero, where they are in power. Only Arvind Kejriwal is doing this work. Only Arvind Kejriwal has the solution to our and your problems. BJP people will only keep talking about irrelevant things.
“I have come out of jail, soon Kejriwal will also come out. He will be among us in a week or a week and a half. All the conspiracies of BJP people will fail in front of a truthful person. They made many false allegations against us. Once our MLAs were arrested. They also got a CBI raid done on me, and in that too the case was found to be false. Now even people have started saying that even if BJP locks Arvind Kejriwal’s team in a ‘kajal ki kothari’ (a room full of darkness), then there will be no stain on them. These are such honest people. You people have worked very hard, today I have come among you,” concluded Manish Sisodia.
Rousing welcome for Manish Sisodia in Shahdara
Manish Sisodia, who came out for a padyatra on the streets of Shahdara, was warmly welcomed by the people. People welcomed him with flower showers and garlands. Also, the people and workers of the Jhilmil Gurudwara Committee greeted him by presenting a turban and a ‘Kirpan’ (Sword). During this, many children were carrying posters of ‘Welcome Back Manish Sir’. Children gave roses to their favorite ‘Manish Uncle’. Women applied tilak to Manish Sisodia and said that we are very happy to see him outside. Many shopkeepers and elders distributed sweets on his arrival. Manish Sisodia kept moving forward and meeting all the shopkeepers, women, children, elders and youth.
Elderly woman became emotional after meeting Sisodia
During the padyatra, an elderly woman became emotional after seeing Manish Sisodia and said that I used to curse the BJP people every day that they locked up my son. On this Manish Sisodia said that one of your children has come out, and now the second child will also come out soon. You just be happy. Now everything will be fine.
Learned the problems of the workers
While moving ahead in the padyatra, Manish Sisodia stopped to meet the workers who were working there. Seeing Manish Sisodia among them, all the workers gathered. Manish Sisodia talked to everyone and got to know their problems.
Presented the picture of Bajrang Bali and Baba Saheb
People welcomed Manish Sisodia in their way. During this, some people presented him with pictures of Baba Saheb and Bajrang Bali. At the same time, a supporter put the tricolour on Manish Sisodia’s shirt and said that this victory is small, but it means a lot.
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