Will surrender on June 2; take care of my old, ailing parents: Arvind Kejriwal to supporters
New Delhi, May 31: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Friday that he will be surrendering on June 2 and, in an emotional appeal, asked the people to take care of his old and ailing parents after he is gone.
"I will leave my house around 3 pm (on Sunday) to surrender. It is possible that this time they will torture me more, but I will not bow down," he said.
He assured the people of Delhi that all the facilities available to them will continue even in his absence.
"You take care of yourself, I worry a lot about you in jail. If you are happy, your Kejriwal will also be happy.
"I will not be among you, of course, but you don't worry, all your work will continue... And after returning, I will also start giving Rs 1000 every month to every mother and sister," he said in a virtual press conference.
Making an appeal to the Delhiites who stood by him in difficult times to look after his aged and ailing parents, he said he has always fulfilled his duty as a son "of your family".
"Today I want to ask something from you for my family. My parents are very old, my mother is very ill. I will worry a lot about her in jail.
"Take care of my parents after I am gone, pray for them, pray to God. Prayers have great power. If you pray for my mother daily, she will definitely remain healthy," he said.
Kejriwal said his wife Sunita is very strong and has supported him in every difficult phase of life.
"When difficult times come, the whole family comes together, you all have supported me a lot in difficult times. It is because of your prayers that I am alive today and your blessings will protect me in the future too. In the end, I just want to say that if God wishes, your son will come back very soon," he said.
He assured the people that all facilities available to them, including 24-hour free electricity and women's bus travel, will continue.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener was granted interim bail by the Supreme Court till June 1 for the Lok Sabha election campaigning. After being released from the Tihar jail here, Kejriwal visited Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Delhi and Maharashtra for campaigning.
"We are all fighting dictatorship together... If something happens to me while saving the country, if I even lose my life, do not be sad," Kejriwal said.
"I will go back to the Tihar jail day after tomorrow. I do not know how many days these people will keep me in the jail this time. But my spirits are high.
"I am proud that I am going to jail to save the country from dictatorship. They tried to break me in many ways, tried to bow me down and tried to silence me. But they did not succeed," the chief minister said.
The AAP supremo alleged that when he was in the jail recently, he was "tortured" in many ways. He said his medicines were stopped.
"I have been a serious diabetic (patient) for 20 years. For the last 10 years, I have been getting insulin injections daily. I get injections in my stomach four times every day," he said, alleging that in the jail, his insulin injections were stopped for many days.
He said his sugar levels reached 300, 325 (mg/dL). If the sugar remains so high for so many days, the kidney and liver get damaged, he added.
"I don't know what these people wanted and why did they do this," he said.
Talking about the unexplained weight loss during his incarceration, the AAP supremo said during his 50-day stay in the jail, he lost six kg of weight.
"When I went to jail, my weight was 70 kg. Today it is 64 kg. Even after being released from jail, my weight is not increasing," he said.
Kejriwal said the doctors are saying that this can also be a sign of some major disease in his body. The ketone level in his urine has also increased considerably and many tests need to be done, he reiterated.
Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva hit back at Kejriwal and said he has a "disease of lying".
"Delhi CM (Arvind Kejriwal) has said that he has a serious disease. I agree with what he has said. He has a disease of lying," he said.
Sachdeva said Kejriwal did the election campaigning. However, when now the time has come for him to go to jail, he is reminding everyone of his diseases, the BJP leader added.
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India and Netherlands ink 17 pacts, elevate ties to strategic partnership
The Hague (PTI): Driven by shifting global geopolitics, India and the Netherlands elevated their ties to a strategic partnership and inked 17 agreements to boost cooperation in defence, critical minerals and other key sectors during talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Dutch counterpart Rob Jetten.
In their meeting on Saturday evening, the two prime ministers expressed deep concern over the situation in West Asia, especially its serious implications for the region and the wider world in view of disruptions caused to the global energy supplies and trade networks.
Modi and Jetten also called for freedom of navigation and global flow of commerce through the Strait of Hormuz, while opposing any "restrictive" measures, and reaffirmed their support for ongoing initiatives in this regard, according to a joint statement.
Roughly one-fifth of global energy supplies pass through this narrow waterway, where shipping has been severely disrupted since February 28, after the US and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran, triggering retaliatory strikes.
The two leaders also discussed the situation in Ukraine - marked by the ongoing conflict with Russia and regional security developments.
They agreed to continue supporting efforts towards the achievement of a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in Ukraine through dialogue and diplomacy, based on the principles of the UN Charter and international law, it added.
Modi landed in The Hague on Friday on a two-day visit as part of a four-nation trip to Europe that is aimed at ramping up bilateral ties in a range of key areas.
Following the Modi-Jetten talks, India and the Netherlands unveiled a "strategic partnership roadmap" to boost ties in trade and investment, defence and security, critical and emerging technologies including semiconductors, space, AI and quantum computing.
The two leaders also launched an ambitious "India-Netherlands roadmap on the development of green hydrogen".
Modi and Jetten also agreed to explore possibilities of establishing a defence industrial roadmap to ensure joint manufacturing of defence equipment, systems, components and other key capabilities through transfer of technology and setting up of joint ventures.
The Netherlands is one of India's largest trading destinations in Europe, with bilateral trade touching USD 27.8 billion in 2024-25. The European nation is India's fourth largest investor with cumulative foreign direct investment of USD 55.6 billion.
The Netherlands, with its world class logistics network also serves as a strategic gateway to Europe for Indian exporters, mainly through the Port of Rotterdam.
In the talks, the two sides also agreed to enhance cooperation in science and innovation, sustainability, health, agriculture, water management, climate change and energy transition, maritime development and people-to-people ties.
The agreements inked between the two sides will provide for boosting cooperation in areas of semiconductors, critical minerals, health, water, renewable energy, agriculture and culture among others, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
A key pact signed following the Modi-Jetten meeting was one on migration and mobility, which is expected to facilitate greater movement of Indians to the European nation for jobs and education.
While deliberating on geopolitical developments, the two leaders called for a free, open and peaceful lndo-Pacific, based on respect for international law, sovereignty and territorial integrity, freedom of navigation, and "absence of coercion and conflicts", according to the joint statement.
The remarks came against the backdrop of growing global concerns over China's increasingly assertive behaviour in the region.
Recognising the strategic importance of critical minerals for continued innovation, the two prime ministers expressed their mutual interest in strengthening cooperation across the critical minerals value chain, including exploration and integration of value chains.
Both leaders also welcomed an initiative to connect the Dutch Semicon Competence Centre to the Indian Semiconductor Mission, which aims to support and strengthen the semiconductor sector, according to the joint statement.
On enhancing overall two-way trade, Modi and Jetten emphasised the immense potential for further growth particularly in light of opportunities arising from the India-EU Free Trade Agreement, which was signed earlier this year.
In the meeting, PM Modi thanked Jetten for the continued Dutch support to India’s permanent membership of a reformed and expanded UN Security Council.
According to the joint statement, Jetten strongly condemned the “heinous and abhorrent” Pahalgam terrorist attack in April 2025 - in which 26 people were killed - and extended his country's unwavering support to India in its fight against terrorism, including cross-border terrorism.
The two prime ministers unequivocally condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and called for a "zero tolerance" approach to combat terrorism and rejected double standards in countering the menace, it said.
"There has been significant progress in India-Netherlands ties in the last one decade," Modi said in his televised opening remarks during the meeting with Jetten.
The prime minister said India considers the Netherlands among its most important partners as the historical and people to people relations between the two sides are "deep" rooted.
"Democratic values, market economy and responsible behavior are part of our common approach. Our cooperation in areas of Water, healthcare and education has been making the lives of our people better," he said.
Modi also highlighted India's economic growth.
The prime minister suggested that there should be convergence of the Netherlands' expertise and India's "speed and skill" in every sector.
"We need to take our cooperation in areas of innovation, investment, sustainability and defence to new heights. Under this common vision, we are taking India-Netherlands relations to the level of strategic partnership," Modi said.
List of outcomes (17 in total) : PM @narendramodi’s visit to the Netherlands ⬇️
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) May 16, 2026
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