Arvind Kejriwal arrested, threatens to continue agitation against Khurshid from jail

New Delhi, Oct 12 (ANI): India Against Corruption (IAC) activist Arvind Kejriwal, who was arrested by the Delhi Police during an agitation against Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid over allegations that an NGO headed by latter and run by his wife Louise siphoned off lakhs of rupees meant for physically challenged people, on Friday warned that the nation will unite and will remove the present corrupt government.

Kejriwal, who was forcibly removed from Delhi's Janpath area along with his associates, said it is an irony that those who are fighting against corruption are being arrested.

He asked on what grounds could India be called a democracy, if the Prime Minister of the country could not come and personally address 300 activists, some of whom were handicapped. He also asked what was the need for having so much security around the Prime Minister's residence to ward of 300-odd people.

"I don't know where they are taking us. The corrupt are roaming freely and those fighting against corruption are being detained. The nation will stand united to take revenge from those in power. We will not move out of the jail now," he told mediapersons after his detention.

Kejriwal was earlier in the day stopped by the police at Janpath during his protest march to the Prime Minister's residence to push for action against the Law Minister.

Kejriwal, who is demanding Khurshid's resignation over allegations that an NGO headed by him and run by his wife siphoned off lakhs of rupees meant for physically challenged people, was accompanied by over differently-abled people during the protest march.

The police crackdown on India Against Corruption volunteers was witnessed even outside Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh's official 7, Race Course Road residence here.

Kejriwal was earlier this morning not allowed to meet the Prime Minister, as the latter had several prior commitments in the day.

"The Prime Minister of our country fears from around 300 to 400 differently-abled people. He has hidden inside his room. Why can't he meet the people of this country? Does he fear? Is there any security threat? They can inspect each of us. Why doesn't he meet the people of this country? The Prime Minister of this country should have sacked a Law Minister like this in two minutes," Kejriwal told ANI earlier today.

"And that Law Minister is now threatening the TV Channel 'Aaj Tak'. So, if he is threatening them then he can do anything with those government officers whose forged signatures are there. He should be immediately arrested so that he does not tamper with the evidences," he added.

Khurshid earlier told a leading news channel in London that he would take legal action against Arvind Kejriwal and Hindi TV channel Aaj Tak in connection with the concerned matter.

Kejriwal further said the common man of the country would very soon break the pride of the Congress-led UPA Government and throw out the corrupt system.

Kejriwal had earlier on Wednesday demanded Salman Khurshid's resignation and his wife Louise Khurshid's immediate arrest after a TV channel reported that a trust owned by the couple forged signatures and stamps of senior officials of several districts in Uttar Pradesh depriving physically challenged people of their due.

Hindi news channel 'Aaj Tak' had earlier alleged that an NGO run by Salman Khurshid and his wife Louise Khurshid had misappropriated funds meant for the differently-abled by forging signatures.

The Zakir Hussain Memorial Trust, headed by Salman Khurshid, has come under the scanner after a TV channel exposed a scam to the tune of Rs 71 lakh.

According to Aaj Tak report, the Union Ministry for Social Welfare and Empowerment had granted Rs 71.50 lakh to the trust for distributing tricycles and hearing aids to the disabled in 17 districts of U.P.

Salman Khurshid is the president of the Trust, while his wife Louise Khurshid is the project director.

As per the rules, the trust should have informed the district magistrate; the district social welfare officers prepare and send a list of beneficiaries from districts and the money is disbursed at the camps organized for this purpose, in the presence of district officials.

But reports state that the Trust distributed the equipment under the forged signatures of district welfare officers and the camps were never held.

The Zakir Hussain Memorial Trust is registered at Khurshid's residence in the national capital (4, Gulmohar Avenue, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi) and the minister's wife - Louise Khurshid, who happens to be a former MLA - is its chief functionary officer.

The trust is registered as an NGO and has been operating in many states and has been receiving substantial grants from several important ministries of the government of India.

The project relates to providing aids to physically challenged people in 17 districts of Uttar Pradesh, including Khurshid's hometown Farrukhabad. (ANI)