Must be the first time in the last 75 years that the Central Government has written to the Election Commission forcing it to defer elections: Arvind Kejriwal
People are saying, the excuse of merging the three MCDs is a mere farce; the real reason is that BJP wants to postpone elections: Arvind Kejriwal
BJP knows that AAP’s wave is taking over the country, the anticipation is that it will drown in the wave once MCD elections take place: Arvind Kejriwal
Appeal to the Prime Minister with folded hands to not cancel the elections; this poses a huge threat to our democracy: Arvind Kejriwal
Leaders like Kejriwal or the PM are not important; what matters is this country, its people and is values which should not be infringed upon at any cost: Arvind Kejriwal
Don’t do this to our country, don’t ruin our democracy for political goals: Arvind Kejriwal
What pressure is the State Election Commissioner under? What threat or greed can be bigger the greater good of the country?: Arvind Kejriwal
The State Election Commissioner should be aware that if he cancels the elections, there will be no significance to our democracy: Arvind Kejriwal
State Election Commissioner must come out in the open and narrate to the public the pressure he is going through; I am sure the whole country will protect him: Arvind Kejriwal
NEW DELHI:
AAP National Convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal today made a heartfelt appeal to protect the democracy of the country. He questioned the nefarious intentions of the BJP-led Central government and sought answers on whether it could stop a body like the Election Commission of India from holding elections. He stated, “Centre writing to the Election Commission to defer elections and EC succumbing to Centre’s pressure is not the right precedent for the Indian democratic system. It must have been the first time in the last 75 years that the Central Government has written to the Election Commission, forcing it to defer elections. People are saying that the excuse of merging the three MCDs is a mere farce, and the real reason is that the BJP wants to postpone elections. BJP knows that AAP’s wave is taking over the country and once the MCD elections take place, the BJP will drown in the same wave. I appeal to the Prime Minister with folded hands to not cancel the elections since this will pose a huge threat to our democracy. Leaders like Kejriwal or the Prime Minister are not important, what matters is this country, its people, and its values which should not be infringed upon at any cost.”
He further added, “What is this pressure on the State Election Commissioner? What is this threat or greed that is bigger than the greater good of the country? The State Election Commissioner should be aware that if he cancels the elections, there will be no significance to our democracy. The State Election Commissioner must come out in the open and tell the public about the pressure he is being put under. I am sure the whole country will protect him.”
Shri Arvind Kejriwal said, “MCD elections were round the corner uptil now. They were supposed to be announced on March 9. The Delhi Election Commission sent a press invitation on the morning of March 9, saying that it will announce the MCD poll dates at 5 PM in the evening. They were supposed to notify all dates related to nomination, withdrawal and the guidelines in that regard. But, right before the presser, around 4 PM, the Centre wrote a letter to the EC asking them to defer the polls because they apparently want to merge the three MCDs. The EC buckled under pressure and announced during the press conference that it is deferring the polls. This is the first time in Indian history that the Central Government has directly written to the EC asking it to defer elections for any cause.”
Reflecting upon the angst and discomfort this move has caused amongst the public, he added, “This move has raised concern amongst the people of Delhi. They have started to worry about their democratic systems even while being the residents of the national capital. They want to know the reasons why the BJP-led Central Government did not merge the MCDs in the last 7-8 years of being in power. They want to know the reason behind such a cowardly move one hour before the election declaration. Did they think of merging the MCD at the very last moment? People think that this excuse is a farce, the BJP has done this in anticipation of its defeat after seeing the wave of the AAP. They’re also asking what does the election have to do with the merger? Today, the 272 councillors of the three MCDs sit separately, after the merger they’ll sit together. Why does this have to be a reason to defer elections, the merger doesn’t affect the democratic system at all? It is clear that their modus operandi was not the merger but the postponement of the polls. This practice does not set a good precedent for the country. Both the things that we’ve witnessed must not have happened. What the Central Government has done should not have happened had they any respect for our democracy. The Election Commission mustn’t have succumbed to the pressure mounted by the Centre. These events aren’t merely unfortunate but unbelievable in the modern day context.”
The Delhi CM continued as he appealed to the Prime Minister to act with greater wisdom, “With folded hands, I appeal to the Prime Minister to let go of such antics. Dear Prime Minister, governments will come and go but the country, its constitution and its democracy are here to stay. Leaders like you and I are not important, political parties are not important. What truly matters is this country, its people, and its values and they should not be infringed upon at any cost. Putting pressure on an institution like the EC, getting elections cancelled weakens its strength. Weakening the very institution that safeguards and supervises democratic functioning weakens the social fabric of this country. It weakens the trust and faith people repose in their leaders. It makes them lose hope for the future. We all must at all cost protect our country. We must not let our institutions falter. I beseech you to not cancel the elections. They pose a huge threat to our democracy. The reasoning of this merger makes no sense for the postponement. What if some party in the future asks to cancel elections because they want to amend our parliamentary system into a presidential one? Can we let this happen? Can we as citizens let elections be cancelled because the ruling party wants to merge two states before their elections? Mr Prime Minister, there will be no Kejriwal and no Modi in the future. Don’t do this to our country, don’t ruin our democracy for political goals.”
Shri Kejriwal further appealed to the State Election Commissioner and said, “I don’t know what fear or pressure our State Election Commissioner was under that he took such a big step. How was he pressured to take such a drastic step? Was he threatened by the ED, CBI, Income Tax or did he face some bigger threat? He is supposed to retire in April. Was he lured with some post-retirement roles to be compromised in such a manner? How could he agree to postpone elections within just one hour? I want to appeal to our State Election Commissioner to not act in such a rogue manner. Sir, if you postpone elections in such a manner then there’d be no significance to our democracy. This is not why our forefathers fought for freedom, Sir. I don’t know how you’re being pressured to let go of our duties like this. If someone’s threatening you, if they’re luring you, please come out in the open and tell the world. The whole of India would stand behind you and protect you. Don’t buckle down to their pressure. Please, don’t let down our democracy, Sir.”