Ahead of the high-voltage Delhi assembly elections, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has tried to come clean on illegal funding allegations. In an exclusive interview with Zee News editor, Sudhir Chaudhary, the chief ministerial candidate of AAP, Arvind Kejriwal, said he will not accept any donations from Mukesh Ambani. He also said he was forced by his party to contest against Narendra Modi from Varanasi against his wishes.
"I will never take money from someone like Mukesh Ambani (chairman & managing director of Reliance Industries Ltd), not even a cheque from him."
He also says that if he has taken any bribe then government should arrest him.
"No one in Delhi has ever accused Kejirwal of siphoning money from any fund. If I have taken bribe of even one rupee, then the government should arrest me. Those who have given illegal donations, government should arrest them (companies)," said Kejriwal.
He added, "If the government doesn't investigate fake addresses of four companies, then I will do it when I become chief minister of Delhi."
Clad in a red sweater and brown shoes, Kejriwal arrived without his trademark muffler. Zee News aired Kejriwal's interview in the evening prime time shows on Wednesday. The channel will again be airing the full interview on Thursday from morning bulletins to prime hour shows in the evening.
Kejriwal made several U-turns on issues, including contesting against Narendra Modi in Varanasi. "I never wanted to contest against Narendra Modi but party prevailed and I headed to the constituency," he said. He lost the election getting just over two lakh votes against Modi who won close to six lakh votes.
"I was against expansion of AAP and even contesting Lok Sabha elections on all-India basis. But my idea was not heeded to by my party members," he said.
He defended his travelling in the business class. "There is no harm in travelling in business class (airplane). In future, I will keep travelling in the business class, if opportunity calls for it," said the CM candidate of AAP.
"I was not in favour of taking any government bunglow, but never said that I will not have a government quarter," he clarified on u-turn statement on his government bungalow.
"I have asked the government not to provide me with any security but they refuse to listen and deputed security personnel after me," he added.
Confident of winning elections in Delhi, the 46-year old who is contesting from New Delhi constituency says that he will fight against price rise and corruption. "I am not greedy of the chief minister's post, otherwise I wouldn't have resigned after 49 days in the government. We will fulfill my promises and fight against corruption," said Kejriwal, even as the interview was interjected by members of audiences who asked few clarifications from the former CM.
On being asked why he stopped targeting Congress any more in elections, Kejriwal says that he was the first one to raise issues against alleged illegal land deals of Robert Vadra, son-in-law of Congress president Sonia Gandhi. "We raised so many charges agains the Manmohan Singh government,"he added.
On the BJP CM candidate, Kiran Bedi, Kejriwal said he is unhappy with the accusation levelled against him during the campaigning.
