CBI grills Kejriwal for 9 hours in excise policy case; "dirty politics," says Delhi CM

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal left the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) headquarters after 8.30 pm on Sunday (April 16) following nine hours of questioning in the excise policy case.

“The CBI interrogation lasted nine-and-half-hours. They asked around 56 questions regarding the excise policy and I answered all of them,” Kejriwal later said after reaching his residence.

Reiterating that AAP was a ‘kattar imaandaar’ party, the Delhi CM said that “liquor scam case was fake and result of dirty politics.”

“They want to finish AAP because they cannot build schools, hospitals as AAP has done in Delhi and Punjab,” he added.

AAP supremo thanked the investigating agency officials “for hospitality” as “they asked questions in friendly, harmonious manner.”

Earlier, the party, fearing that Kejriwal would be arrested, held an emergency meeting convened by its Delhi chief Gopal Rai and later with Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann.

Also read: Kejriwal says will sue CBI, ED for perjury and false affidavits

The emergency meeting was called soon after AAP leaders, including Raghav Chadha, Sanjay Singh, Jasmine Shah, Atishi, and others were detained for protesting against Kejriwal’s questioning by the CBI. They were released from Najafgarh police station after Kejriwal left the CBI office.

“We were protesting peacefully outside the CBI office. Our detention shows that the BJP government is scared of AAP and Arvind Kejriwal,” Rajya Sabha MP Chadha said.

He added that the party was “carved out of the anti-corruption movement and has seen all kinds of struggle,” asserting that they were not scared of detention by CBI, ED, or police.

Mann, Chadha, and Sanjay Singh, among others had staged a protest at Golf Link Road after the police restrained them from going towards the CBI office.

(With agency inputs)