Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Harsh Malhotra on Thursday, 3 September pushed back sharply against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)'s framing of Satyendar Jain's bail in the Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) scam case, asserting that bail is a routine judicial step and carries no implication of acquittal. Jain, a former Delhi minister and senior AAP leader, was arrested in connection with the STP scam, sent to judicial custody on 18 and 19 August, and subsequently granted bail on Thursday as the offence was bailable.

BJP's Core Argument

Malhotra was categorical that the judicial process — whether it results in custody or bail — does not determine guilt or innocence. 'Getting bail is not a matter of Satyamev Jayate,' he said, in a pointed rebuke of AAP's celebratory response. He maintained that Jain will face full trial and expressed confidence that the investigating agency's case is 'strong enough' to secure conviction.

The BJP president noted that the investigating agency had completed its probe before arresting Jain and producing him before the court — a sequence he described as procedurally sound and legally unremarkable.

AAP's Bail Celebration Draws Fire

AAP leaders publicly welcomed Jain's bail on Thursday, with some party members describing it as a virtual clean chit. The BJP rejected that characterisation outright. Malhotra said the party was conflating a procedural court order with an exoneration — a distinction he argued the public and media must not overlook.

This comes amid a broader pattern of the two Delhi rivals trading accusations as the capital's political temperature remains elevated ahead of ongoing civic and legislative proceedings.

BJP Targets AAP Over School Video Row

Separately, Delhi BJP Spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor on Wednesday condemned what he described as political propaganda by AAP's Delhi Convenor Saurabh Bharadwaj outside a school. Kapoor alleged that Bharadwaj enticed schoolchildren with cake and featured them in a political video — an act he said was prohibited under the Delhi Education Act.

Notably, Bharadwaj himself previously served as Education Minister, making the alleged violation more pointed in the BJP's framing. Kapoor called on the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights to take cognisance of the incident.

BJP Defends Rekha Gupta Government's Schemes

Kapoor also attributed AAP's recent conduct to political frustration over the Rekha Gupta-led BJP government's welfare rollout in Delhi, which includes bicycles for schoolgirls under the Delhi Vidya Vahini Yojana, a monthly ₹2,500 Samman Rashi for women, and free LPG cylinders for women in need. He said AAP leaders were resorting to 'baseless and fabricated allegations' in response to these schemes' implementation.

If AAP genuinely believes there was corruption in the bicycle distribution scheme, Kapoor said, the party is free to file a police complaint or approach the court — but 'has no right to conduct political propaganda among school children.'

What Comes Next

Jain's trial in the STP scam is expected to proceed, with the investigating agency reportedly confident in its legal position. The school video controversy may see formal action if the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights responds to the BJP's demand for cognisance. Both episodes are likely to fuel continued political sparring between the BJP and AAP in Delhi.