Kejriwal released, insists on Khurshid's resignation

The war of attrition between Arvind Kejriwal and Salman Khurshid over allegations of irregularities against the law minister's NGO escalated today with the former launching an indefinite protest demanding his resignation and arrest, shortly after being released from a makeshift jail.

Khurshid's wife Louise, the project director of the NGO Dr Zakir Hussain Memorial Trust, lashed out at Kejriwal, terming the allegations of "money bungling" as "baseless innuendos" and accused him of "doing politics using the shoulders of the disabled".

Kejriwal and disabled people came to Parliament Street police station this afternoon after they were released from detention at a makeshift jail in Bawana in outer Delhi where they were kept since last evening.

They were detained on Friday afternoon when police stopped them from marching towards Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Race Course Road residence.

The activists will continue their protest at Parliament Street till Khurshid is removed from the Cabinet and arrested along with his wife for alleged irregularities in the functioning of the NGO, Kejriwal said. Both Khurshid and wife have denied the charges.

Kejriwal sought to up the ante by calling for throwing the UPA government out of power. He tweeted, "Rise and throw this corrupt empire. Bhagat Singh gave up his life for the country. Subhash Chandra Bose gave up his life and career. What would u do?"

Rebutting the allegations, Louise trashed speculation about her husband resigning over the issue, saying there is no reason why her husband should step down.

"There is no inquiry against Khurshid either by the central government or any report by the CAG. So why should he step down," Louise said.

Louise also criticised a television group against which she has filed a defamation suit for a sting operation on the issue saying more such suits will be filed including one by the law minister himself.

"They could find only three persons to say that they have not received anything, whereas we have provided artificial limbs to thousands of people. And we alone did not do all this. Our MLAs like Vivek Bansal, Jitin Prasada and others also organised camps for the disabled in various areas where artificial limbs were distributed. They are all disturbed now.

"We have spent huge money serving the people of our constituency Farrukhabad for which we did not take anything from the government. We will not soil our hands for an amount like Rs 70 lakh. We have done no wrong. All this is totally false," she said.

Delhi Police spokesperson Rajan Bhagat said, "We have released them (the activists) from detention."  Besides Kejriwal, the others who were detained included Manish Sisodia and Gopal Rai.