Instead of enacting drama, Kejriwal should resign immediately: BJP

New Delhi, Sep 15: The BJP on Saturday said instead of enacting a "drama", Arvind Kejriwal should immediately resign as the Delhi chief minister and recommend dissolution of the Assembly.

Reacting to Kejriwal's remarks on Sunday that he would step down from the chief minister's post in two days, Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva challenged him to resign immediately along with his cabinet.

"Why does he need two days? He will make a U-turn after two days and say his MLAs have asked him to continue (as the chief minister). I challenge him to resign immediately along with the entire cabinet and call for early elections," Sachdeva told PTI Videos.

He said if Assembly polls are held in Delhi in November, the people of the national capital will give a fitting reply to Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)

Echoing Sachdeva's words, the national spokesperson of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Sudhanshu Trivedi, said if Kejriwal wants early elections in Delhi, he should first recommend dissolving the Assembly.

"He is still a chief minister and his party has a massive majority in the Delhi Assembly. If he wants elections to be held, he can convene the cabinet's meeting and recommend dissolution of the Assembly," he said.

"His demand (for early polls) shows just how bizarre his character has become," Trivedi added.

BJP MP from South Delhi Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said the Supreme Court had made it clear while granting bail to Kejriwal in the excise policy case that he cannot work as the chief minister. Kejriwal has been barred from entering the Secretariat and also from signing any file and his arrest was also declared valid, Bidhuri said.

Addressing AAP workers on Sunday, Kejriwal said he would resign after two days and sought early polls in Delhi, while vowing not to sit in the chief minister's chair till people give him a "certificate of honesty".

Calling it a "drama", Bidhuri said if Kejriwal submits his resignation to the lieutenant governor, only then will it be considered that he has resigned.

"A situation of constitutional crisis has arisen in Delhi and Kejriwal has no option left except to resign. The festive atmosphere created by the AAP after Kejriwal's bail and calling it his victory has also gone (wrong). The Supreme Court has granted him bail but now, the chief minister's chair is slipping out of his hands," he said.

Bidhuri also expressed apprehension that Kejriwal's resignation announcement could simply be a gimmick as the AAP is "an expert in enacting drama".

"A drama of not resigning can also be enacted by calling a meeting of the legislative party. If he submits his resignation to the LG, only then will it be considered that he has resigned because he has no other legal option left," the BJP leader said.

Sachdeva said Kejriwal's conduct, image and character are all under suspicion.

Addressing a joint press conference with Trivedi, he said, "What is the matter that he needs to settle in two days for which he needs time? People had already made their decision when they did not respond with votes to the 'Jail ka Jawab Vote Se' campaign (of the AAP) and sent him to jail."

BJP's national media co-convenor Sanjay Mayukh and Delhi Pradesh media relations head Vikram Mittal were also present at the press conference.

Referring to the allegation of assault levelled against Kejriwal's aide Bibhav Kumar by Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal, Sachdeva said this is the first time in the country that a chief minister called a woman MP to his house and got her mistreated and assaulted.

"If he had any decency, he would have resigned long ago, there would be no need for an excuse. The demand for two days' time is probably to settle some remaining issues and gather more money. Given the deep-rooted corruption in the Kejriwal government, the entire cabinet should resign because there is no department untouched by corruption," he said.

Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta said Kejriwal's decision to resign was a forced one to avoid answering questions from the public. He said after running the government from jail for the last six months, Kejriwal has now said he would resign with only a few months to go for the Delhi Assembly polls.

Gupta claimed that after this announcement of resignation, Kejriwal will attempt to play the victim card.

"Corrupt Kejriwal is handing over power to someone else after looting Delhi for 10 years to avoid answering questions from the public and to prevent his wrongdoings from being exposed," he said.

Gupta further said had Kejriwal resigned before he was sent to jail, the people of Delhi would not have suffered for the last six months.

"The lives that were lost due to waterlogging during monsoon could have been saved. People who died in accidents caused by potholes on broken roads might still be alive today. Arvind Kejriwal is responsible for all these deaths. After his resignation, the end of the AAP's misgovernance would be near. The way Kejriwal has ruled, his downfall was inevitable," he said.

The BJP leader said people have seen the reality of AAP leaders and will give them a fitting reply in the Assembly polls.