Manish Sisodia CBI raid: “BJP is not worried about any product fraud, it is concerned about Arvind Kejriwal as they see him as the main challenger to PM Modi in the upcoming general election,” Manish Sisodia told.
Manish Sisodia CBI raid
A day after the CBI raided it over allegations of corruption in liquor policy, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia launched a scathing attack on the Center and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for “misusing” central agencies.
Addressing a press conference, Manish Sisodia, who also holds the excise department, alleged that CBI officials were directed by the “high command” to raid his house. He claimed to stop Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Chief Arvind Kejriwal as his work in education and health sector is being discussed across the world.
“The BJP-ruled central government is not worried about any product fraud, it is concerned about Arvind Kejriwal as they see him as the main challenger to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the upcoming general election,” Sisodia said. There will be a fight between Aam Aadmi Party and BJP
Mr Sisodia denied any wrongdoing and said that the excise policy was implemented with complete transparency. The minister also said that he would be arrested in the coming days, but that would not stop his party from doing good work.
He reiterated that the Center was furious at the shouting at the front page of the Delhi Education Model in the New York Times on Thursday.
Union Minister Anurag Thakur today alleged that Manish Sisodia is only accused of liquor ‘scam’, but Arvind Kejriwal is the kingpin. On AAP’s claim that it was the main challenger to the BJP in the 2024 general election, Mr Thakur said, “AAP made big claims before but could not stand before PM Modi.”
Besides Mr. Sisodia’s house in Delhi, the CBI searched 31 other places in seven states. Mr Sisodia is at number one in the list of 15 accused named in the CBI FIR on liquor policy violations. The offenses listed in the 11-page document are corruption, criminal conspiracy and misappropriation of accounts.
In its FIR, the CBI claimed that a liquor dealer had paid ₹1 crore to a company managed by an associate of Mr. Sisodia. The probe agency alleges that liquor companies and middlemen were “actively involved in irregularities in formulation and implementation” of the excise policy.
In a bureaucratic reshuffle, Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor Vinay Kumar Saxena had ordered the transfer of 12 IAS officers yesterday evening following the raid on Mr. Sisodia.
Liquor shop licenses were handed over to private traders under the policy launched in November. It was withdrawn by Mr Sisodia on July 30 after the Economic Offenses Wing of the Delhi Police initially launched an investigation.
The Lt Governor had last month recommended a CBI probe, accusing the AAP of “sole purpose” to benefit private liquor businessmen for financial gain to “those in the highest positions of the government going up to Manish Sisodia”. Along with the excise policy.
