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AFTER NINE hours of questioning Monday in the case related to alleged irregularities in Delhi’s previous excise policy, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and the CBI faced off over what the former said transpired at the agency’s headquarters.
Sisodia claimed pressure was put on him “on the side” to leave AAP, and that he was lured with an offer to become Chief Minister. The CBI “strongly” rebutted the allegations and said its questioning “was carried out in a professional and legal manner”.
Sisodia also claimed it became clear during questioning that there was no scam in the excise policy, and that the case was a “pressure” tactic to make the BJP’s “Operation Lotus” successful in Delhi. The CBI said Sisodia’s statements “will be verified” and “further action taken as per requirements of investigation”.
Earlier in the day, 119 people, mainly AAP members including 16 MLAs and MP Sanjay Singh, were detained by police outside the CBI headquarters. The police said that a case is being registered against those detained for violating prohibitory orders in the area under Section 144.
AAP head and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, meanwhile, described the case against Sisodia as “completely fake” and said that his deputy will head to Gujarat Tuesday for their party’s ongoing election campaign.
Stepping out of the CBI headquarters around 9 pm, Sisodia alleged that the agency was being “used in an unconstitutional way to apply pressure”.
“Excise was discussed (during questioning) but what surprised me was that, on the side, pressure was put on me to leave AAP… I asked why. (They) said otherwise such cases will carry on against you. I said there’s nothing in this case, this will end. Then I was told, on the side, what are the cases against (AAP Minister) Satyendar Jain. Those are also ongoing, if he can stay (in jail) for six months, you may also stay (in jail) for six months,” he said, referring to his Cabinet colleague who is in jail in a separate money laundering case.
Sisodia claimed that he responded by describing the BJP as a “dirty party” and asking why he should leave AAP for it. “Then I was told that ‘no, otherwise this case will stay, and another benefit is that you will also be made Chief Minister’. I replied that I am not here to become a Chief Minister, I am here for (the cause of) education,” he said.
“I am not going to come under the pressure of any Operation Lotus. Let them do whatever they want to. The entire case is fake. There is no truth, by far, in it… The BJP is claiming a scam of Rs 10,000 crore. There is no scam, this I realised there,” he said.
Responding to the allegation, the CBI said in a statement: “Some sections of the media have aired a video in which, after leaving the CBI office, Shri Manish Sisodia has stated on camera that during his questioning in CBI, he was threatened to leave his political party and similar such insinuations. CBI strongly refutes these allegations and reiterates that examination of Shri Sisodia was carried out in a professional and legal manner strictly as per the allegations against him in the FIR. The investigation of the case will continue as per law.”
Sisodia, who also holds the Education portfolio, was summoned to the CBI office at 11 am. His arrival at the agency’s office was preceded by dramatic scenes as he left his residence and first visited Rajghat, where he referred to the British action against Mahatma Gandhi, and led a party roadshow.
Reacting to the AAP’s show of strength, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra accused the party of “glorifying corruption” and trying to turn a “vice into victory”.
Sisodia is one of the accused in the excise case, which is based on an FIR filed by the CBI on August 17 following a recommendation from Delhi Lt-Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena pointing to alleged irregularities in the implementation of the excise policy.
The CBI has, so far, arrested three people: AAP’s communication in-charge Vijay Nair, Indospirit Group’s Sameer Mahendru and Hyderabad-based businessman Abhishek Boinpally. The Delhi government has scrapped the policy.
Around 9.30 am Monday, Sisodia stepped out of his house and took his mother’s blessings in public. Flanked by AAP MLAs Atishi, Saurabh Bharadwaj, Durgesh Pathak and Jarnail Singh, he then spoke to the party workers who had gathered there and claimed that the CBI is “getting ready to arrest me”. “These people want to put me in jail because of the response AAP is getting in Gujarat,” he said.
After reaching Rajghat at around 10.15 am, he said, “I took Bapu’s blessings. Bapu was also arrested and stopped from doing good… Bapu and our freedom fighters fought for the country’s freedom, and they were also stopped and put behind bars. The Britishers filed fake cases against them. The same way, they (the CBI ) have filed a fake case against me.”
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