It was Lalu who pulled me and hugged, says Kejriwal

Facing flak for hugging former Bihar CM and RJD chief Lalu Prasad during Nitish Kumar's swearing-in ceremony in Patna last week, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday sought to come out clean from the controversy.

Speaking at AAP's National Council meeting in New Delhi, Kejriwal said it was Lalu Prasad who pulled him aside and that he should not be blamed for the incident.

"At Nitish Kumar's swearing-in, Lalu Yadav shook my hand, pulled and hugged me. I did not take any initiative. We are against his record of corruption and we will always oppose it," Kejriwal said.

Nitish sworn in as Bihar CM, Lalu's sons join his jumbo ministry Visuals and photographs of Lalu and Kejriwal hugging each other during Nitish Kumar's oath taking ceremony at Patna's Gandhi Maidan had gone viral. People on the social media pulled out an old tweet from Kejriwal reminding him of his anti-corruption stand.

Lalu Prasad is currently barred from contesting elections after he was convicted and jailed last year in a fodder scam case.

Speaking to AAP workers, Kejriwal, who is party's national convener, said that his party is not in race for 2019 Lok Sabha election.

Lalu's son Tej Pratap, fumbles twice during swearing-in "We are not in the race for 2019. Four years ago, none of us envisaged coming to electoral politics and contesting elections, let alone winning. So the journey has been nothing less than a miracle," the Delhi CM said.

Meanwhile, AAP's National Council meeting was marred by protests by some party workers who were not invited for the meeting. Ex-AAP and Swaraj Abhiyan supporter Umesh Kumar and several other AAP rebels protested the meeting venue and shouted anti-party slogans.

Sonrise for Lalu, sonset for others However, AAP sources clarified that the protesters had been informed by letter about their suspension from the party for anti-party activities and that the protests were the outcome of anger and disappointment.

Addressing the meeting, Kejriwal said that a conspiracy is going around AAP from the last three years. "Conspiracy is going around us from the last three years and continues even today, but if we are alive it because of grace of God," he said.