‘Corrupt’ to ‘committed to Constitution’: Kejriwal shifts tone on Manmohan after support on Delhi bill

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor Arvind Kejriwal has written to former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to thank him for voting against the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023, in the Rajya Sabha.

“Your unflinching commitment towards the principles of our Constitution will be remembered for decades, and will deeply inspire the coming generations of parliamentarians,” Kejriwal said in the letter, sent Tuesday.

This comes about a decade after Kejriwal accused Singh, then the Prime Minister, of being “corrupt” for allegedly using his position to favour a company. As one of the principal architects of Anna Hazare’s anti-corruption movement, Kejriwal played a key role in laying the groundwork for the unseating of the Manmohan Singh government at the Centre in 2014.

“I write to you expressing gratitude on behalf of the 2 crore people of Delhi for your support in rejecting and voting against the GNCTD (Amendment) Bill, 2023,” Kejriwal wrote. “I would like to place on record the heartfelt appreciation that the people of Delhi have for you for championing their rights on the floor of the Rajya Sabha, despite your deteriorating health.”

Singh is a Rajya Sabha MP from Rajasthan.

After a high-drama debate Monday, Opposition parties managed to gather the support of 102 MPs against the bill, whereas the ruling NDA secured 131 votes. The bill was thus passed.

In his letter, the Delhi chief minister said the presence of Singh conveyed a “story of calm, grace and conviction to preserve India’s democracy and federal structure against all odds”.

“Your sheer presence in the Rajya Sabha also sent a loud and clear message to all those forces working to weaken Indian democracy that any such attempts will be met with fierce resistance by political leaders cutting across age and party lines,” he said.

Kejriwal added that the “the struggle for securing the rights of Delhi’s citizens” has entered a new phase, and called for Singh’s “support and guidance in the fight against forces that are undermining the Constitution”.

Meanwhile, in two separate letters to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and MP Rahul Gandhi Tuesday, he also thanked the party for voting against the bill.

“I am certain that your unflinching loyalty towards the principles of our Constitution will be remembered for decades. We look forward to your continued support in the fight against forces that are undermining the Constitution,” he wrote.

Other Opposition leaders to receive such letters include Nitish Kumar of the Janata Dal (United), Uddhav Thackeray of the Shiv Sena (UBT), Mamata Banerjee of the Trinamool Congress, and Sharad Pawar of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), all of whom have joined hands under the banner of the ‘INDIA’ alliance.