Chunav Manch: Satyendar Kumar Jain, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former Delhi minister, who was the first AAP leader to be jailed, said that he doesn't want to remember those days. He was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in May 2022 and has been in custody on allegations of money laundering, after which he submitted his resignation from the Kejriwal Cabinet. He has spent more than 2 years in jail without bail or a trial or conviction. Jain, who was among the first AAP leaders to be arrested in different cases, says despite the party's leadership being jailed in "false cases," the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been unable to dent its image.
In jail for over 18 months about a Rs 4.8-crore money laundering case lodged by the ED, AAP leader and former health minister Satyendar Jain walked out of Tihar jail in October last year, hours after a Delhi court granted him bail.
Jain reiterated that Delhi Assembly elections will be fought based on the issues and not accusations that are being levelled by the BJP. "AAP is the only government that spends 25% of its budget on education, 50% on health, and 10% on other social issues."
The election results will come on 8 February. There are 70 Assembly seats in Delhi. The fight in Delhi is mainly between the Aam Aadmi Party and the BJP. The Congress is also contesting the Delhi Assembly elections.
On his jail term
"While in jail, I lost a significant amount of weight—38 kg. Despite many challenges, I feel that God's hand was on me, and it allowed me to come out alive," Jain said. He denied the BJP's allegations that he received special treatment in jail. "I used to eat only fruits. What they were calling a privilege was not a privilege but my religious belief," he added.
On AAP's 10-year legacy
"AAP is the only party that has a legacy of good healthcare and good education. We have constructed 39 flyovers in 10 years. Indeed, we were not able to achieve a few things like cleaning the Yamuna River and providing 24/7 drinking water. But I assure you we will do it," he said.
'Delhi's work was affected by putting me in jail'
Jain said that by putting him in jail, the central government has tried to derail the work being done in Delhi. "They won't put Congress people in jail. They have selectively put Aam Aadmi Party leaders in jail, as it is very difficult to find leaders like Manish Sisodia," said Jain.