'If PM Modi wins, he will change...': Kejriwal makes big claim in his first address after release from jail

Addressing his first press conference since leaving jail, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that BJP will not only imprison Opposition leaders but also leaders from their party. 

Kejriwal claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has started a "one nation, one leader" mission and he will soon end the political career of Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath too.  

"Politics of Advani, Murli Joshi, Shivraj Chauhan, Vasundhara Raje, Khattar, Raman Singh has been finished, Yogi Adityanath is next. If he (PM Modi) wins, he will change UP CM within two months," Kejriwal said.

"Our country is very old, whenever a dictator tried to take over, the people uprooted him. Today again a dictator wants to end democracy. I have come to beg from 140 crore people," NDTV quoted Kejriwal.

In his speech, he singled out PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah as engineers behind a power takeover within the BJP, referring to how the BJP changes chief ministers in many states before assembly elections to "clip their wings".

Kejriwal attacked PM Modi and BJP and asked who will be their PM as Modi is turning 75 on September 17 this year.

"These people ask the INDIA bloc who will be their Prime Minister. I ask BJP who will be your Prime Minister? PM Modi is turning 75, on 17th September. He made a rule that leaders in the party would retire after 75 years. LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Sumitra Mahajan, and Yashwant Sinha were retired and now PM Modi is going to retire on September 17," Kejriwal said.

He also warned that all the opposition leaders, including CMs Mamata Banerjee, and MK Stalin would be sent to jail in case the BJP-led NDA comes to power after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

"They will send opposition leaders to jail and will finish them (Nipta denge) ...Our ministers, Hemant Soren (former Jharkhand CM), ministers of Mamata Banerjee's party (Trinamool Congress) are in jail...If they (BJP) win again, then Mamata Banerjee, MK Stalin, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Uddhav Thackeray (UBT Chief) and other opposition leaders will all be in jail," the Delhi CM said.

On May 10, the Supreme Court granted Kejriwal interim bail to campaign for the Lok Sabha elections. Questioning the arrest just before the elections, the court directed the Enforcement Directorate to investigate Kejriwal after voting ends.

"For one-and-a-half years he was there... he could have been arrested before or after (the election) also. Whatever it is, 21 days here or there should not make any difference," the court said.