Sunita Kejriwal has made her first political move
On Saturday, the former IRS officer made her first video address to the public, reading out her husband and delhi Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s letter from jail less than 48 hours after the AAP leader was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in the excise policy-linked money laundering case. What made her 3-minute, 14-second appearance political is the unmissable imagery associated with it, one typically reserved for her husband arvind kejriwal – portraits of Dr BR Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh in the background and flanked by the national flag on both sides. Sunita kejriwal delivered her husband’s message to the people to mark Shahidi Diwas, the death anniversary of Bhagat Singh even as AAP allies in the india bloc protested Kejriwal’s arrest at Shahidi Park.Delivering the address in hindi like her husband, Sunita kejriwal addressed the nation with “mere pyaare desh waasiyon” and introduced herself as the wife of Arvind Kejriwal. Seeking to invoke the bond between kejriwal and the public, she said: “Your brother, your son has sent a message from jail.” She then went on to read the letter, possibly handed to her by arvind kejriwal in court on friday night when he was remanded in Enforcement Directorate’s custody till march 28.In a veiled attack on the BJP, kejriwal, through his wife, said: “Within and outside the country, there are many forces that are weakening the country and one has to be alert, recognize these forces and defeat them. Similarly, there are many forces, many people who are patriots and if we have to see the country progress, we have to bring these forces together and encourage them.”Addressing the women of the country specifically, he said: “The sisters and mothers of delhi would be thinking ‘now that kejriwal is in jail, are we going get the Rs 1,000 assistance per month?’ I appeal to my sisters and mothers to keep the faith in me. There are no bars that can keep me behind for very long. I will come out soon and fulfil my promises. Has it ever happened that your brother, your son has not kept his promise? Your bother, your son is made of steel. However, I appeal to you to go to the temple once and pray for me. The prayers of crores of people is my strength.”