NEW DELHI: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh, who was recently released on bail after spending 6 months in Tihar jail in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case, said on Saturday that his stint in prison only served to boost morale and strengthen the party’s resolve to fight.

Talking to PTI, Singh however admitted that the first 11 days in prison were “quite difficult inside a small cell” and that he was “not allowed to step out”.

“The initial 11 days were quite difficult. I was inside a small cell and was not allowed to step outside. I was under police security. Subsequently, I spoke to the jail administration and demanded that I be given rights as a normal prisoner,” he told PTI.
Thereafter, he said, he was allowed to move out at fixed timings under police security. “They decided to allow me to go to music room, badminton court at fixed times. Even the issues related to food were also addressed,” he said.
The senior party leader said that he used the jail time to read books since he did not have a mobile phone.
“But I was resolute and brave,” said the AAP MP, who was granted bail by the Supreme Court even as Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal was sent to judicial custody till April 14 in connection with a money laundering case linked to the Delhi liquor policy.
“I read in those six months — the writings of Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, Dr (Ram Manohar) Lohia, Bhagat Singh. Maine 6 mahine mein utna padha jitna main 6 saal mein nahi padh paaya (In these six months I read more than what I had done in six years),” he said.

For a major part of his stay, he was housed in cell number 28 in jail number two but was later transferred to jail number five.
“This is weird. I was transferred from jail number two to jail number five. Manish Sisodia is in a separate jail and Satyendar Jain is in a separate jail. I don’t know why they consider us such big accused that we were all kept in separate jails. I was under CCTV surveillance 24×7,” he said.
Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 in the same case as Singh. Elaborating on the arrest of Kejriwal and its impact, he said it has given strength to party workers in terms of working and reaching out to people.
Singh said that the “move to arrest” Kejriwal was already “backfiring on the BJP”. “People have sympathy with him [Kejriwal] and they will give a befitting reply in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls,” he added.
Singh alleged a “conspiracy” behind the arrest of Kejriwal and said that he, along with Jain, Sisodia, will be out soon.
“This is not a good thing. If you are starting this practice of dictatorship, it’s not a good thing. We will have to work harder. If Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi was certain about victory, he would not have done these. Freezing bank accounts of the Congress, arresting chief minister, there is a fear in them. BJP is losing elections. They are doing this out of fear. No politician will do such things unless there is a fear of loss,” he added.
(With inputs from PTI)