New Delhi, Feb 27 (IANS) Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, in his first presser after getting a clean chit in the ‘Liquorgate’ case, launched a frontal attack at the BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, accusing them of hatching a conspiracy to annihilate the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

He also demanded that the duo apologise to the people of Delhi for implicating him and AAP leaders in a false case, and dared the Centre to conduct fresh Assembly elections to “gauge the public mood and wrath”.

Kejriwal, flanked by close aides and top AAP functionaries including Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh and others, also thanked the judges and legal fraternity for upholding the rule of law and “showing grit in times of extreme adversities.”

He informed the press that his party will soon move higher courts to challenge the ED case against him, as this doesn’t hold water in light of the CBI case getting dismissed by the Rouse Avenue court.

The AAP chief, addressing the media at the party’s office, said that he, Sisodia and other AAP leaders were framed in a false, fabricated and entirely bogus case, which didn’t stand legal scrutiny and hence fell flat at the trial stage itself.

“The court said that there wasn’t sufficient evidence and material to begin a trial in the case. In its 600-page order, the Court stated that in no uncertain terms, there can’t be any trial as there is no sufficient substance and ground for taking it forward,” he told media persons.

Launching a scathing attack at the Centre, he said that it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah who hatched this conspiracy to annihilate and destroy AAP.

“This was the most sinister and wicked conspiracy by them to throw us out of power,” he stated, while accusing the Centre of using central agencies like CBI and ED to harass them for the past four years.

The AAP leader, swearing by his high standards of honesty and integrity, said that he didn’t earn anything in life other than respect, and he was maliciously targeted by the BJP for political advantage.

He said that the Centre, in its desperation for power, sent as many as five top leaders of his party to jail and added, “Today’s court decision establishes the facts, clearly and firmly, that Kejriwal and AAP functionaries, including Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh and others are ‘kattar imaandaar’.”

The AAP founder held the BJP responsible for misgovernance, the sorry state of affairs in the capital and demanded that the ruling party, under the PM-HM duo, focus on improving governance and not mudslinging, as that could be the “only way to defeat Kejriwal”.

Kejriwal also threw an electoral challenge at the Prime Minister, stating that if you conduct polls today, you will get to see the public ire arising out of your malice and spiteful governance.

“You won’t get more than 10 seats,” Kejriwal said, predicting an electoral rout for the BJP.

On questions of Congress seeing conspiracy in a clean chit for Kejriwal and his associates, he asked why no Congress leader, including Rahul Gandhi or Robert Vadra have gone to jail.

–IANS

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