India's opposition leader Kejriwal resigns as Delhi's Chief Minister

NEW DELHI, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Indian opposition leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tendered his resignation on Tuesday and picked his colleague and local minister Atishi to replace him.

Kejriwal's resignation came days after getting bail from India's top court in a corruption case.

He was arrested in March and spent five months in jail in connection with Delhi excise policy case.

Officials said Kejriwal met Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena at his residence earlier in the day to submit his resignation.

Kejriwal, a fierce critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate -- the Indian government's financial crime-fighting agency -- in March on charges of corruption related to the direct involvement in the formulation of the excise policy favoring specific individuals.

Investigations into the case began in August 2022 when India's key probing agency Central Bureau of Investigation accused the Delhi government of using the policy to favour certain liquor dealers who had allegedly paid bribes. The policy was subsequently scrapped.

The Aam Aadmi Party rejected any wrongdoing, saying their leaders have been "falsely arrested" in a "fabricated case". The party accuses Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of political interference, a charge denied by the ruling party.