After arrest by CBI, Manish Sisodia to be produced in court today; AAP plans nationwide protests

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has decided to hold nationwide agitation on Monday (February 27) in protest against the arrest of Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the liquor policy case.

“The great Education Minister Manish Sisodia, who has shaped the future of lakhs of children of the country, has been arrested in a fake case. Against this, the Aam Aadmi Party will protest across the country tomorrow,” AAP’s national general secretary Sandeep Pathak said.

Sisodia was arrested by the CBI on Sunday after eight hours of grilling. He will be presented in court on Monday.

Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal took to Twitter to term his arrest “dirty politics”. Kejriwal had earlier told Sisodia not to worry and that the party would take care of his family.

Ahead of his questioning, Sisodia had said he was not afraid of going to jail over “false allegations” and that he was ready for seven to eight months of stay in prison.

Also read: Manish Sisodia: The deputy more often in news than his leader

The senior AAP leader’s arrest is related to alleged corruption in the implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi liquor policy for 2021-22. It is alleged that the Delhi government’s policy to grant licences to liquor traders favoured certain dealers who allegedly paid bribes for it. The AAP has strongly denied the charge.

The officials of the Anti-Corruption Branch of the CBI grilled the minister on various aspects of the excise policy, his alleged link with Dinesh Arora and other accused in the FIR, and details of message exchanges from multiple phones among others, reported news agency PTI.

News agency IANS quoted sources as saying that Sisodia was involved in the excise policy scam as the mastermind. The quoted sources also accused him of destroying evidence.

The CBI had earlier questioned Sisodia on October 17, a month before filing the charge sheet on November 25. However, the CBI did not name Sisodia in it because it apparently kept the probe open against him and the other accused.

However, during Sunday’s questioning, the CBI’s Anti-Corruption Branch investigators were reportedly not satisfied with Sisodia’s responses. They reportedly felt he was not cooperating with them and was avoiding clarifications they sought on crucial points, which led them to arrest him.

मनीष बेक़सूर हैं। उनकी गिरफ़्तारी गंदी राजनीति है। मनीष की गिरफ़्तारी से लोगों में बहुत रोष है। लोग सब देख रहे हैं। लोगों को सब समझ आ रहा है। लोग इसका जवाब देंगे।

इस से हमारे हौसले और बढ़ेंगे। हमारा संघर्ष और मज़बूत होगा।

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) February 26, 2023

AAP leaders condemned Sisodia’s arrest, calling it a “conspiracy.” Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi, saying, “Manish is innocent. His arrest is dirty politics. People are furious at Manish’s arrest. They can understand everything. People will answer this. This will only boost our resolve. Our struggle will grow stronger.”

“CBI won’t be able to prove anything in court,” said AAP leader Atishi in a press conference.

‘Black day for democracy’

The AAP, in a tweet, called it a “black day for democracy”. “BJP’s CBI has arrested the best education minister in the world, who improved the futures of lakhs of children, in a fake case. BJP has done this out of political hatred,” the tweet read.

लोकतंत्र के लिए काला दिन!

BJP की CBI ने लाखों बच्चों का भविष्य संवारने वाले दुनिया के सर्वश्रेष्ठ शिक्षा मंत्री @msisodia को फ़र्ज़ी Case में Arrest किया।

BJP ने ये गिरफ़्तारी राजनीतिक द्वैष के चलते की है।

— Aam Aadmi Party Delhi (@AAPDelhi) February 26, 2023

The arrest of Sisodia, who is also Delhi Finance Minister, comes just ahead of the Delhi Budget Session, expected to be held in the first half of March. He also heads 18 departments of the Delhi government.

This is not the only probe Sisodia is facing. The second investigations is related to an alleged “feedback unit” to collect political intelligence against AAP rivals. The Union Home Ministry has already granted sanction to prosecute the AAP leader in the second case.