Ashish Ranjan
Manish Sisodia’s arrest: Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of Delhi, has claimed that the arrest of his deputy Manish Sisodia was the result of political pressure, alleging that the majority of CBI officials opposed his arrest.
“According to reports, the majority of CBI agents opposed Manish’s detention. Everyone holds him in the highest regard, and there is no evidence against him. But the political pressure to detain him was so great that they had no choice but to comply with their political overlords “Kejriwal sent a tweet on Monday.
I am told that most CBI officers were against Manish’s arrest. All of them have huge respect for him and there is no evidence against him. But the political pressure to arrest him was so high that they had to obey their political masters
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) February 27, 2023
AAP leader Saurabh Bhardwaj stated that Kejriwal’s claim was supported by intelligence from “concrete sources” within the CBI. “The BJP wishes to obliterate AAP; this is an emergency situation. Mr. Modi is not a permanent fixture, as only a few sane CBI officials are aware “he added.
Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia was detained on Sunday evening by the CBI, which is investigating alleged irregularities and corruption in the drafting and implementation of the now-rescinded excise policy for 2021-22. Today, he will be brought to court on Rouse Avenue for a remand hearing.
Even before Sisodia appeared for questioning at the CBI headquarters, AAP’s top leaders and rank-and-file employees had taken to the streets in protest and circulated rumours that the senior party leader would soon be arrested. Sisodia added that he anticipated his detention based on “false allegations.”
The minister of Delhi, who holds the portfolios of excise, finance, and education, was subsequently detained and charged with “criminal conspiracy” and “intent to defraud” under the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The central agency has accused Sisodia of providing unwarranted benefits to liquor merchants, providing an illegal discount to the liquor lobby, and altering policy with the approval of Delhi Lt Governor VK Saxena. The CBI alleged in a statement that Manish Sisodia gave evasive responses and did not cooperate with the investigation.
Sisodia stated, in a veiled attack on the BJP-led Centre, “We are witnessing the arrest and imprisonment of gentlemen, patriots, and decent and honest citizens. Because they are their allies, no action is taken against those who robbed banks of crores of rupees.”
He also asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is afraid of the AAP’s rising prominence.”Modiji is terrified of Kejriwal. He fears only Arvind Kejriwal and not Rahul Gandhi or any other leader. They intend to crush AAP and Kejriwal. As the AAP’s prominence grows, so will the number of false cases filed against us “he said.
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Sisodia’s arrest in the liquor policy case prompted the AAP to call for nationwide demonstrations. Several AAP leaders asserted that they were detained in preparation for the protests, as security was heightened in central Delhi.
