The BJP says there have been “grave irregularities” in the liquor contracts.
New Delhi:
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has been summoned by probe agency Central Bureau of Investigation on Monday at 11 in the morning for questioning in the controversial Delhi excise policy case. In a press conference soon after the summons, Aam Aadmi Party’s senior leader Saurabh Bhardwaj has claimed Mr Sisodia will be arrested tomorrow, adding that the summons are linked to the upcoming Gujarat elections where the BJP and AAP “are in direct contest”.
“The BJP is scared,” he said.
Reacting to the latest summons, Mr Sisodia said nothing was found in CBI raids earlier, but he will offer full cooperation to the investigative agency.
“CBI raided my house for 14 hours, nothing came out of it. They searched my bank locker, and found nothing. They did not find anything in my village.
Now they have called me to CBI Headquarters at 11 am tomorrow. I will go and give my full cooperation,” he tweeted in Hindi.
मेरे घर पर 14 घंटे CBI रेड कराई, कुछ नहीं निकला. मेरा बैंक लॉकर तलाशा, उसमें कुछ नहीं निकला. मेरे गाँव में इन्हें कुछ नहीं मिला.
अब इन्होंने कल 11 बजे मुझे CBI मुख्यालय बुलाया है. मैं जाऊँगा और पूरा सहयोग करूँगा.
सत्यमेव जयते.
— Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) October 16, 2022
AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal backed his deputy on Twitter, drawing parallels with freedom fighter Bhagat Singh.
“Jail bars and hanging noose could not deter Bhagat Singh’s strong determination.
This is the second fight for freedom. Manish and Satyendra (Jain) are today’s Bhagat Singh,” he said.
जेल की सलाख़ें और फाँसी का फंदा भगत सिंह के बुलंद इरादों को डिगा नहीं पाये
ये आज़ादी की दूसरी लड़ाई है।मनीष और सत्येंद्र आज के भगत सिंह है
75 साल बाद देश को एक शिक्षा मंत्री मिला जिसने ग़रीबों को अच्छी शिक्षा देकर सुनहरे भविष्य की उम्मीद दी
करोड़ों ग़रीबों की दुआएँ आपके साथ है https://t.co/slc3lb1Mqp
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) October 16, 2022
The CBI had late last month arrested AAP communications chief and Mr Sisodia’s close aide Vijay Nair in the case.
More recently, Abhishek Boinpally who was allegedly lobbying for certain liquor businessmen based in Southern India became the second person to be arrested in the case.
The CBI has questioned a number of people, including Sameer Mahendru, the owner of Indo Spirits, Amit Arora, the Director of Buddy Retail Private Limited in Gurugram, and India Ahead News Managing Director Mootha Gautam, in connection with the case, officials said.
The Aam Aadmi Party has maintained that there is no scam, and Arvind Kejriwal’s deputy has been dragged into the case for political vendetta. At an NDTV townhall last month, Mr Kejriwal had dared the Centre to arrest Mr Sisodia if there was evidence against him.
“What’s the scam? The CBI has found nothing in raids on Manish. Why don’t they arrest him if there’s a scam? Just because the BJP says there’s corruption, does not mean there is,” the AAP chief had said.
AAP accuses Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his BJP-led central government – which appoints the Lieutenant Governor – of misusing the CBI to stop their “good work”.
The BJP says there have been “grave irregularities” in the liquor contracts, accusing the AAP of using “money from kickbacks” in the campaigns in Goa and Punjab.
The CBI has named 15 people in its FIR, including Mr Sisodia, who handles Delhi’s Revenue Department that governs excise collection and liquor policy.
It was in July that Delhi Lieutenant Governor ordered a probe into the New Excise Policy. That same month, the AAP government withdrew the policy, which had come into force in November last year, and brought private players into liquor trade. The AAP said the policy was for more revenue “but scuttled by the BJP’s central government using the Lieutenant Governor”.
