Constitution’s power will also free Kejriwal: Sisodia after walking out of jail
After delivering a speech in front of Delhi's Tihar Jail, Manish Sisodia went directly to meet family of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, before going home
Former Delhi deputy chief minister and senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia walked out of Tihar Jail on Friday evening to a thumping welcome by party leaders and supporters, and stressed from outside the prison that it was the power of the Constitution and people’s love that he endured 17 months of incarceration and is finally a free man again.
After delivering a speech in front of the jail, he went directly to meet the family of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, before going to his home late in the evening.
Outside Tihar, he said that the day that Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal also walks out of jail is not far as well.
“I assure you that with the same power of the Constitution, soon chief minister Arvind Kejriwal ji will also come out of jail,” Sisodia said.
The mood on Jail Road carried a celebratory tone from 5pm. Heavy rain failed to act as a dampener as hundreds of AAP workers and people from across Delhi gathered to catch a glimpse of the former deputy chief minister.
Among the crowd were senior leaders of the AAP.
Video: AAP's Atishi breaks down as Manish Sisodia gets bail after 17 months
Sanjay Singh, Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj, all joined the chorus as the crowd erupted when Sisodia finally stepped out of the prison complex at around 6.45pm wearing a maroon half-sleeved shirt.
A massive roar from this crowd welcomed him as greeted to the crowd with flowers petals showered over him, to the chants of “Manish Sisodia zindabad”.
Sisodia then stepped into his car and emerged from the open sunroof, as he was handed a microphone.
He said it was the love that people of Delhi bore him that he is now outside again after 17 months.
“Namaskar, to all of you from a free Manish Sisodia. In the last 17 months, it is not only I that suffered, but all of you have suffered with me. I know, across the entire country, the people who love me… they have increased manifold during this period. In these last 17 months, I was not in jail, but all of you were spiritually [in jail] with me… every single Delhi resident… every single person across the country, every single child was with me. These 17 months, I thought about all of these people. I want to thank all those who used the power of the Constitution to fight against the tanashahi (dictatorship),” he said, as the crowd erupted in chants of “Jai Bhim”.
Sisodia was visibly emotional even as the rain got heavier. He said he had been thinking about BR Ambedkar since the morning.
Read Here: Manish Sisodia granted bail on these 4 conditions in Delhi excise policy case
“Ever since the order came out for me to get out, I have been thinking about only Babasaheb (Ambedkar). In the coming months, if there is a dictatorship government that puts people in jail like me… it is the Constitution that will save them. I have come out all thanks to your love, by God’s grace and the power of the truth. This was Babasaheb’s dream to crush any tanashahi sarkaar (dictatorial government) that will come and rule like this,” he said.
Sisodia also that it was the Constitution that came to his help, and it will be the same Constitution that will get the Delhi chief minister out from jail as well.
Kishan Sisodia (no relation with the deputy CM), 39, who came from Janakpuri’s A-block, said his children study in a government school and he wanted to thank his namesake for Delhi government’s strides in the education sector. “I saw it in the news in the morning and I rushed to Tihar jail. He has wrongly been imprisoned and justice was delayed, but it came nonetheless,” he said.
The crowd continued to swell during Sisodia’s speech, with resultant traffic snarls only worsening the already rain-hit vehicular movement. A several-kilometres-long jam was reported from Cariappa Marg till Jail road – all the way up till Tilak Nagar.
Directly from Tihar, Sisodia was accompanied by a cavalcade of vehicles which took him to the residence of the Delhi chief minister, where he met Kejriwal’s wife Sunita Kejriwal, who became emotional, and family members and also sought blessings from the parents of the AAP chief.
“This is a big day for the AAP and the people of Delhi. The whole of Delhi is celebrating today because their favourite education minister has come out of jail,” minister Atishi said.
Read Here: Ruling on Sisodia calls for judicial reforms in bail process
From there, he then went to his own house in Mathura Road, where he was greeted by AAP leaders, his family members, and well wishers. He was also seen hugging his wife, Seema Sisodia. He then finally retired for his first night back home in nearly a year-and-a-half.
“Manish Sisodia ji who came out of jail after defeating the dictatorial forces with the power of the Constitution, met CM Arvind Kejriwal’s wife Sunita Kejriwal ji and his parents at CM’s residence. The dictator tried a million times to break the AAP family, but this family is not going to break,” the AAP said in a post on X.
On Saturday, Sisodia is expected to have a packed schedule with several meetings and visits on the roster.
AAP leaders have planned a meeting (on Saturday) where the role of Manish Sisodia will be decided by party leaders together.
“Manish Sisodia will go to Rajghat tomorrow morning at around 9am. After Rajghat, he will go to a temple at around 10am and after that he will reach the party headquarters at 11am and address the workers,” said AAP leader Sandeep Pathak.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, however, said Sisodia’s bail does not mean acquittal in the excise case.
BJP MP from North East Delhi Manoj Tiwari said: “The passport of Manish Sisodia has been seized and he has been asked to present himself before the police every week. The strict conditions of the bail will make the people of Delhi feel ashamed of the AAP leaders they have elected to govern Delhi. Despite that they (AAP) leaders are celebrating the bail.”