'Time for struggle': What AAP's Sanjay Singh said after coming out of Tihar

AAP leader Sanjay Singh expressed confidence in the eventual release of other party leaders, such as Arvind Kejriwal, Satyendar Jain, and Manish Sisodia, who are still in custody

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh was released from Tihar Jail on Wednesday evening. Singh spent six months behind bars in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case. His release comes amidst a conspicuous absence of evidence linking him to the alleged bribery concerning AAP and liquor licences. 

Singh's release signifies a personal reprieve and provides a significant boost for the AAP amidst ongoing legal challenges facing its leadership.

Addressing his supporters outside Tihar Jail, Singh stressed the importance of continuing the struggle, stating, "It's not a time for celebration; it's a time to fight." 

He also expressed confidence in the eventual release of other party leaders, such as Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Satyendar Jain, and Manish Sisodia, who are still in judicial custody.

"Jashn manane ka waqt nahi aya hai, sangharsh ka waqt hai [It's not the time for celebration, it's time for struggle]. Our party's senior leaders Arvind Kejriwal, Satyendar Jain, and Manish Sisodia are being kept behind bars. I have confidence that the locks of the jail will break, and they will come out," Sanjay Singh said.

He further said, "Before coming to the party office, I went to Delhi CM's residence and met Sunita Kejriwal. She had tears in her eyes for the first time. I appeal to the people of the country that the answer for jail should be given through votes...This is not the time for celebration but war and struggle...I will go to Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain's residence as well. AAP is a family and we will fight against dictatorship."

Singh confidently asserted that all jailed AAP leaders would come out with complete honesty while accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of intimidating and imprisoning AAP leaders.

"I will obey the court's instructions and will not talk about my case. But, I will talk about the case of Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia. I just want to say that our leaders are 100 per cent honest, and attempts to intimidate them, file cases against them, and send them to jail should be stopped," he said.

"Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, everyone will come out with complete honesty and the locks of the jail will be broken. Arvind Kejriwal, Atishi, and Saurabh all said that we did not do any liquor scam... BJP said it because they did the liquor scam. They took Rs 55 crore bribe from Sharad Reddy...He put a pin on the deck of Rs 55 crore and then BJP made him the king," he added.

While Singh's reentry into political activity signifies a significant moment for the AAP, the party still faces legal hurdles. Key leaders in AAP, such as Kejriwal and Sisodia, are currently in custody in relation to the same case, and former minister Satyendar Jain is detained in a separate money laundering investigation. Despite this, Singh's release is anticipated to re-energise the AAP's political agenda and bolster its resolve against what it perceives as autocracy.