Modi gave AAP certificate of honesty, says Kejriwal

Says Cong celebrates whenever there’s raid against us

New Delhi: Accusing the Central government of scanning over 400 files related to the Delhi government, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday dared Prime Minister Narendra Modi to show four files of the Centre, including those of Sahara-Birla and Rafale.

Addressing the National Council Meeting of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Kejriwal also said through repeated examinations and scanning, Modi gave the AAP government in Delhi a certificate of honesty.

"The Centre took and examined our 400 files to find irregularities, but could not find any. Modi himself gave us a certificate of honesty. I always say if PM Modi shows us four of his files, he will end up landing in jail," Kejriwal said.

"You took our 400 files, show us Sahara-Birla and Rafale files and we can send you to jail with just these two files," he challenged Modi.

He said that the BJP in the past four years has not left any stone unturned to ensure that the AAP government could not perform.

"I don't see anywhere in the country or in the world that a Chief Minister elected by the people could not even transfer a peon working under him.

The Centre holds the power to transfer the officers but we have been asked to make them work. The public has voted for us, but powers are with the Centre."

He said that the Central government posted the worst officers in the Education and Health Departments, soon after the two departments started doing good work.

"But Manish (Sisodia) and Satyendar (Jain) ensured that these officers worked. Only we know how we handled the dictatorship of the Centre.

They also used all possible agencies against us including the police and CBI to humiliate us," Kejriwal said, adding that the Centre also used the Income Tax department and the ED against them.

Kejriwal, in his speech, mentioned Anna Hazare and said he is following Anna's lessons. The party head also said that the Congress too is against the AAP.

"It is not the BJP which is against us, but also the Congress. Whenever there were raids on us, the Congress workers were the first ones to celebrate," he said. Kejriwal added that the work done by the party and the government in Delhi was no less than a miracle.

"The Delhi government, which is going to complete four years soon, has done some work which the other political parties were not able to do even after being in power for 15-20 years. The BJP is in power for past 22 years in Gujarat; compare the government schools in the state with that of Delhi.

The work the Congress and the BJP could not do in 70 years, we have done in just three years." He said that the party workers should be proud of the party and its work.

"Whenever you meet a BJP or Congress worker, just ask them to compare the schools in their state and in Delhi." He accused the two parties -- BJP and Congress -- of not doing any work in 70 years.

Kejriwal said that the nation can become number one in the world if a good party comes to power at the Centre. He said the formation of the party was not an end to the revolution.

"Our fight will continue and we should be ready to dedicate ourselves to the nation and the cause. The challenge before us is big," he added.

Kejri’s term as convenor extended

New Delhi: The National Council of the Aam Aadmi Party on Saturday extended the term of its convenor Arvind Kejriwal for one year due to upcoming Lok Sabha and the Delhi Assembly elections.

AAP National Secretary Pankaj Gupta, while announcing the extension, said there has been no amendment in the party's constitution.

"With the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and Delhi Assembly elections around the corner, the members have decided to extend the tenure of the national council for a year.

The elections for the new council will be held before the end of the extended tenure," Gupta told the media.

The tenure of the national council expires on April 23, 2019. Now Kejriwal will continue to remain party chief till April 2020, with the extension of term.

Kejriwal was elected as the national convenor of AAP for the second time in April 2016 for a period of three years.

According to AAP's constitution, no member can hold the same post as an office-bearer for more than two consecutive terms of three years each.