Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann to meet Arvind Kejriwal in Tihar jail on April 30

Amid continuous allegations by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) against the BJP of conspiring against the party convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, senior party leader and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is scheduled to meet his Delhi counterpart in Tihar jail on April 30. However, details regarding the format of the meeting, unlike the last time through glass separation, are yet to be clarified.

Significantly, this will be Punjab's Chief Minister's second meeting with Arvind Kejriwal, who has been lodged in Tihar jail in connection with an excise-policy linked money-laundering case. Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate.

Moreover, earlier speaking of his meeting with Kejriwal on April 15, Mann alleged that his Delhi counterpart is subjected to deplorable treatment in jail. He said, "It was very painful to see that he (Arvind Kejriwal) is not even getting the amenities that a hardcore criminal gets. What is his crime? That he constructed hospitals and schools and provided free electricity to the public? They are treating him as if he is a very big criminal."

Speaking to reporters, the Punjab Chief Minister affirmed that AAP stands



with Kejriwal and that the party will rise as a significant political force in the upcoming elections. AAP had also earlier alleged that the party convener was being stripped of his fundamental rights behind bars and was subjected to harsh treatment inside the jail.

Earlier, addressing a press conference, senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh alleged that CM Kejriwal is being stripped of his fundamental rights inside the jail. While highlighting “blatant discrimination," Singh said the administration allowed Kejriwal “only a glass wall meeting” with his wife Sunita and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, while notorious criminals “enjoy face-to-face encounters.”

Meanwhile, earlier in the day, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday banned Aam Aadmi Party's poll campaign song. Delhi Minister Atishi Marlena criticized the ECI's move in a press conference.

Accusing the poll panel of favoritism, Marlena said, "When BJP uses ED and CBI to impersonate opposition leaders, ECI does not change them. But if someone says in the campaign that false arrests take place, then the Election Commission has an issue." She further said, "This is just a symptom of a dictatorial government."