Union Home Minister Amit Shah raised concerns on how the Supreme Court did not find Arvind Kejriwal's remark contemptuous when he, after getting out on interim bail said, "If you vote for me I will not have to go to jail".
Speaking to ANI, Shah on Friday said that Kejriwal's statements, after he got out on interim bail, were liable for contempt of court.
"There can be no bigger contempt of the Supreme Court than this. Will Supreme Court make decisions on (electoral) victory and loss?" Shah said.
The home minister also said that the bail order of Kejriwal doesn't amount to him being acquitted in the case.
"I don't want to comment on the Supreme Court's decision. But the manner in which AAP, a few media groups and most journalists are considering this the victory of Kejriwal - I would like to clarify it a little...This is not clean chit. The chargesheet is still before the Supreme Court. If he was so confident, he should have prayed for quashing before the Sessions Court," Shah said.
Shah's statement came a day after the apex court clarified that it made no exemption while granting interim bail to the AAP supremo, and said that "critical analysis of the judgment is welcome".
"We have not made any exception for anybody. We said in our order what we felt was justified," the bench said.
Appearing for the ED, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta objected to Kejriwal's speeches in poll rallies that if people voted for AAP, he would not have to go back to prison on June 2. "It is his assumption, we cannot say anything," the bench told Mehta.
It added, "Our order is very clear about when he has to surrender. It is the order of the Supreme Court. The rule of law shall be governed by this order." Mehta alleged that Kejriwal had violated the bail condition by his assertion.
"What is he trying to imply? It is like a slap on the institution," the Solicitor General said.
Justice Khanna said the court's order is clear that he has to surrender on June 2.