‘BJP bows to Ambedkar out of compulsion, AAP follows his path,’ says Arvind Kejriwal

New Delhi: On the birth anniversary of Dr B R Ambedkar, the Aam Aadmi Party launched a fierce attack on the BJP-led Centre, framing the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal as a direct assault on the Constitution and a betrayal of the democratic values championed by Babasaheb.

At a press conference in the Capital, Delhi Cabinet Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said the country was witnessing the very abuse of power Ambedkar had warned against. “Kejriwal has been jailed without a rupee of corruption proven against him, while the BJP government in Gujarat remains untouched despite a Rs 13,000 crore scam flagged by the Comptroller and Auditor General,” he said.

Bharadwaj alleged that central agencies like the CBI and ED had been reduced to political instruments, silencing dissent instead of ensuring accountability. He pointed to the Gujarat Water Resources Department’s alleged financial irregularities—unutilised pipelines, incomplete projects, and defunct purification systems—as an example of selective scrutiny.

“This is more than political vendetta; it is a betrayal of Babasaheb’s ideals,” Bharadwaj added. “The spirit of the Constitution—equality before law, federalism, and institutional integrity—is under threat.”

The AAP has demanded a CBI probe into the Gujarat scam and called on the judiciary to protect the independence of investigative agencies.

Earlier in the day, speaking at an event at the AAP headquarters, Kejriwal accused the BJP of invoking Ambedkar “out of compulsion” while rejecting his ideals in practice, particularly in education. He alleged that the current Delhi administration, led by the BJP, was systematically dismantling schemes introduced by the previous AAP government in government schools.

“Give me one BJP-ruled state where meaningful progress in education has been made,” Kejriwal said. “They do not believe in Ambedkar’s vision because he stood for universal adult franchise—something many opposed then, and some still resist in spirit.” Delhi AAP leaders echoed the sentiment, pledging to uphold Ambedkar’s legacy through quality education and social unity, and urging citizens to defend the Constitution against creeping authoritarianism.