AAP sees moral victory in Arvind Kejriwal's U-turn

NEW DELHI: In the face of sharp criticism for yet another U-turn by AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal who agreed to pay a personal bond in the defamation case, the party jumped to defend their leader for what they called his moral victory.

Kejriwal had on two earlier occasions refused to furnish a bond for which he has been in Tihar Jail since May 21. On Tuesday however, he agreed to pay the bond. "Kejriwal's stand is against the practice which had forced lakhs of people to stay in jail. We appealed in high court which will decide on the matter on July 31. The court ordered his release after signing a bail bond," said party leader HS Phoolka. Another leader added: "The court has at least agreed to consider his plea which means that he was making a valid point.

The party stressed that it was a conditional bond. "The court has made it clear that the issue of whether such bonds are a mandatory requirement will be subject to the final outcome of Kejriwal's petition, listed for hearing on July 31. This is why he accepted the court's proposal to furnish a personal bail bond for his release from Tihar Jail," said party sources.

When Kejriwal opted for jail instead of furnishing a Rs 10,000 bond, he was criticized for politicizing the issue and creating unnecessary drama. However, the party said that whatever Kejriwal might do, he would be called a dramebaaz.

"He took a principled stand and was called an opportunist. When his legal team advised him to accept the court's proposal, especially after they agreed to look into his petition, he is again being criticized. In the petition filed in the high court, Kejriwal has raised the issue of whether it is correct to seek bail bonds and sureties from people who are summoned by courts on complaints filed in cases like that of criminal defamation," said a senior member.

Once out, the first agenda on Kejriwal's list would be a visit to Punjab. He was scheduled to travel to the state to thank people for sending four AAP candidates into the Lok Sabha but the programme had to be postponed after he was jailed. Next in line is the preparation for the Delhi assembly elections.