Modi govt wants to turn Tihar jail into Hitler’s gas chamber: Sanjay Singh

Claiming the Centre wants to convert Tihar jail of Delhi into “Hitler’s gas chamber”, senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh on Wednesday (April 10) said an inquiry has been launched into Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal passing messages to his MLAs through his lawyers from Tihar jail where he is lodged after his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

After Kejriwal sent a message to AAP MLAs asking them to visit their constituencies and solve people's problems, a "threat was issued" that his meetings with his lawyers and family members would be stopped, Singh claimed at a press conference in Delhi without naming anyone.

Hitler’s gas chamber

Alleging that the Centre has converted the Tihar jail into Adolf Hitler’s gas chamber, the AAP leader said. “This shows how the Modi government wants to keep in jail the Delhi Chief Minister who has been elected thrice with a thundering majority, deploying methods used during the Hitler regime, adopting the rules used by Hitler’s regime… wants to covert the Tihar jail of Delhi into a gas chamber.”

Even the most dreaded among the criminals have been granted the minimum human rights as individuals, who can meet their lawyers and family member. But Prime Minister Narendra Modi has snatched those rights, Singh averred in his presser.

“Why I’m telling you this. Two days ago Arvind ji met his lawyer and during that meeting, he sent a message to elected MLAs that they should visit their constituencies every day, listen to the problems of the people and resolve them,” Singh said. “What is wrong about it? If a chief minister can’t send a message to attend to the problems the people are facing then who should do that? And an inquiry has been set up against him using this message as a pretext,” he told the reporters.

Denying basic human right

The chief minister has been threatened by jail authorities that he will not be allowed to meet his lawyers and family members. “Not only that, a threat has been given to him that he will be stopped from seeing his family members and lawyers,” Singh added.

The AAP Rajya Sabha MP alleged that he and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann wanted to meet Kejriwal in jail, but the meeting was cancelled by the prison authorities, even though a token number had been issued for it.

Kejriwal has been arrested by the ED in a money laundering case stemming from the alleged excise policy scam. He is in judicial custody till April 15 and is currently lodged in Tihar jail.

Since his arrest on March 21, he has sent messages to his party leaders and directions to Delhi ministers through his wife and lawyers.

Singh hit out at the Modi government and the ruling BJP, saying that they want to keep Kejriwal in Tihar under "Hitlarshahi" to break him emotionally.

"Kejriwal will neither break nor bow down to any torture," he said, adding that Delhi's 2 crore people will respond to this in the Lok Sabha elections.

Eight-nine policemen stay around Kejriwal during his meetings with his lawyers in jail. This is against rules as inmates are allowed to speak to their lawyers privately, Singh said.

What is ED’s allegation?

The case against Kejriwal pertains to alleged corruption and money laundering in the formulation and execution of the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021–22 that was later scrapped.

The ED has accused Kejriwal of being involved in the "entire conspiracy of Delhi liquor scam, in drafting and implementation of the policy, for favouring and benefiting the quid pro receiving kickbacks and eventually using part of proceeds of crime generated out of the scheduled offence in the election campaign for Goa Assembly elections".

Meanwhile, the central parts of Delhi witnessed massive traffic snarls in the day as roads towards DDU Marg were blocked due to the BJP's protest demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

BJP demanding Kejriwal’s resignation

The BJP held the protest near the AAP headquarters on DDU Marg. Police used water cannons to disperse the protesters. In the commotion, the party's Delhi unit chief Virendra Sachdeva was injured and was taken to RML Hospital.

Commuters faced a harrowing time in the ITO area as traffic moved at a snail's pace.

The Delhi Traffic Police issued a traffic advisory ahead of a BJP protest.

In a post on X, it said, "In view of the proposed protest at DDU Marg, traffic will remain heavy at IP Marg, Vikas Marg, Minto Road and Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg. DDU Marg may remain closed for traffic movement from 11 am to 2 pm." The traffic police have urged the commuters to take alternative routes to avoid any inconvenience.