Delhi Chief Minister (CM) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal considers himself bigger than Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, said Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Tajinder Singh Bagga, while speaking to CNN-News18 exclusively, hours after the Punjab and Haryana High Court gave him reprieve from arrest till May 10.

The BJP leader said he would not apologise to Kejriwal, and that the Punjab police had “arrested him without a warrant”.

“My statement was misinterpreted. I am taking legal opinion,” said Bagga.

“Kejriwal was very afraid, and was unable to sleep at night [which is why the Delhi CM had taken such actions against him],” he said.

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Bagga thanked the Punjab and Haryana High court on the reprieve.

THE ARREST, DRAMA

On Friday, Bagga was arrested by Punjab Police from his home in Delhi, stopped in Haryana while being taken to Punjab and brought back to the national capital by Delhi Police hours later.

Bagga was produced before a magistrate late on Friday, after a high-voltage drama that drew in the police of three states and triggered a political slugfest.

Delhi Police also registered a case of kidnapping based on a complaint by Bagga’s father Pritpal Singh Bagga, who alleged that “some people” came over to his house at around 8 am and took his son away.

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Bagga, also the national secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), was held in connection with a case registered against him in Mohali last month.

Hours after the Mohali court issued the arrest warrant in connection with a case registered against him by the Punjab Police last month, Bagga moved the high court challenging it. Justice Anoop Chitkara took up Bagga’s petition in an urgent hearing at his residence just before midnight. “No coercive steps till May 10,” said Bagga’s counsel Chetan Mittal on the high court order.

THE ACCUSATIONS

The BJP has accused Punjab Police of “abducting” its leader, who has been vocal in his criticism of Kejriwal, and accused the AAP chief of pursuing vendetta through the state police.

The AAP, however, has rejected the charge and said the Bagga was arrested for allegedly stoking communal tensions in Punjab.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia tweeted in Hindi, “The entire BJP and its governments are engaged in saving one of their goons who spoke against the brotherhood in Punjab and incited riots.”

Although AAP chief spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj referred to the clashes in Patiala on April 29, the Punjab Police had said it arrested the Delhi BJP leader from his residence in the capital in connection with a case registered in Mohali on April 1.

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The April 1 FIR referred to Bagga’s remarks on March 30, when he was part of a BJP youth wing protest outside the Delhi chief minister’s residence. The April 1 FIR was registered under relevant IPC sections, including 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place, etc.), 505 (whoever makes, publishes or circulates any statement, rumour or report) and 506 (criminal intimidation).

Bagga had come under fire from the AAP, the ruling party in both Delhi and Punjab, for his tweet against Kejriwal over ‘The Kashmir Files’ movie.

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