New Delhi, Sep 1 (IANS) Saying he was "very pained" by what his minister Sandeep Kumar did, leading to his sacking on morality grounds, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday attacked the BJP for shielding its corrupt.
In a video message, a pensive looking Kejriwal said he would prefer to die rather than deviate from the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) principles.
The AAP leader on Wednesday night sacked Social Welfare and Women and Child Development Minister Sandeep Kumar after a video emerged showing him in an "objectionable position" with a woman.
On Thursday, Sandeep Kumar defended himself, saying he had resigned on his own and that he had been targeted because he was a Dalit.
In a bid to rebut the charge and accusations from elsewhere, Kejriwal said Sandeep Kumar had "betrayed" the AAP and all those who had made huge sacrifices to be a part of it, even by giving up full-time jobs.
"Sandeep Kumar has betrayed the entire movement. The AAP is the sole hope of the entire country. He had betrayed their hope," he said.
Kejriwal said it was but natural for people to ask if there was any difference between the AAP and other political parties.
He said if any evidence of wrongdoing was brought against any AAP minister or leader, the party took immediate action. This, he underlined, did not happen in other parties.
He said this would apply to he himself as well as all senior leaders.
"Be it Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia or anyone who is caught in activities which are against the party's principles, none will be spared.
"I have told Manish to take strict action even against me if I am found guilty of doing any wrongdoing."
The AAP did not compromise on its basic principles, he said. "Neither we indulge in corruption nor do we tolerate it."
He then named the BJP Chief Ministers of Madhya Pradesh (Shivraj Singh Chouhan), Rajasthan (Vasundhara Raje) and Chhattisgarh (Raman Singh) as well as former Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel as among those who were mired in corruption charges but who the BJP stoutly defended.
The Congress and the Akali Dal were no different in Punjab, he said, pointing to Congress leader Amarinder Singh as well as Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia.
"Instead of acting against these leaders, the BJP is trying to protect them.
Similarly, the Congress, instead of taking action against Captain Amarinder Singh, made him its head in Punjab. And the Akali Dal is protecting Majithia who is involved in drug trade."
Pointing out that Sandeep Kumar was the fourth senior party leader to be sacked for wrongdoing, he said: "We are sorry we had this rotten fish. But I am proud we have not tolerated them."
