The AAP workers decided to protest outside the BJP headquarters on Monday against the arrest of Deputy CM Manish Sisodia ,who was arrested on 26th February in connection with the alleged irregularities in the now scrapped 2021-2022 liquor policy .To handle the law and order situation,1500 police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed at the BJP’s headquarters.
AAP chief Spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj claimed that around 80% of the AAP leaders have been kept under detention including the Member of Parliament Sanjay Singh and Minister Gopal Rai.He called them as illegal and suggestive of an emergency like situation.
BJP claimed that the party’s leaders have been detained and that it is over now ,but Bharadwaj while commenting on it said that they have been detained for 24 hours which is illegal and against the constitutional provisions.
He added the police should have produced them in court and explain under which laws they have been detained .Our local leaders and District in Charge have also been arrested ,said Bharadwaj.
He said that all this reflects what was done during the emergency of 1975 .
Sanjay Singh and Rai were among those detained while they were protesting outside the CBI headquarters on Sunday against Sisodia’s arrest .AAP claimed they have not been released yet ,there was no immediate response from the Delhi police.
All state units of AAP have been asked to protest against the same .
Bharadwaj said they will hold a protest before the BJP Headquarters because the central govt is trying to suppress AAP.
He added there was no need to arrest Sisodia .He did not run away in the last 10 months nor did he destroy any of evidence .He said the LT.Governor Anil Baijal has approved the liquor policy ,he should also be arrested then.He questioned as to why the central govt did not question him,AAP is being subjected to injustice by the Central govt ,said Bharadwaj.
BJP’S response to it :BJP leader Ram Singh Bidhuri said he has been arrested on solid evidence for scam in excise policy .He added Kejriwal came in politics to fight against corruption ,but has not removed it ,it means he was also involved in the same ,he should also resign from his post, was added by him.
Manoj Tiwari while replying to AAP’s accusations against the BJP said let the CBI follow it’s procedure.
Kejriwal’s response :Kejriwal maintained Sisodia was innocent, and called his arrest dirty politics.He said there is a lot of anger among the people and they will respond.
Sisodia Said false cases were being lodged against the leaders of AAP as PM modi is afraid of Kejriwal.
Sisodia was arrested under Sections of the Indian penal code pertaining to criminal conspiracy and fraud and the prevention of corruption act .The 2021-2022 liquor was scrapped when the LT.Governor Saxena asked for an investigation over alleged irregularities .AAP has rejected all the charges.
Manish Sisodia was called as the architect of the liquor policy and 100 crore were paid to him for favouring certain liquor manufacturers and wholesalers .The same money was used by the Party in Goa’s election campaign last year.
Kejriwal said that he was told that most CBI officers were against Manish ,but the fact is that they have a huge respect for Manish ,but they were under political pressure exerted by their political masters.
Latest update of the case:The CBI on Monday produced him in a city court ,and CBI has asked court of a 5 days remand of the case as they claimed he was evasive during the questioning on Sunday.
Accusations against Manish sisodia:
Sisodia is one of the primary accused in the CBI FIR for the Delhi excise policy ‘scam’. The now withdrawn Delhi government policy to grant licences to liquor traders had allegedly favoured certain dealers who paid bribes. According to a report by the Delhi chief secretary, Sisodia undertook major decisions and actions that were ‘in violation of the statutory provisions and the notified excise policy that had huge financial implications’. Following this report, a CBI probe was recommended.
The ED and CBI have since registered cases alleging that irregularities were committed while modifying the Excise Policy.The charges include granting undue favours to license holders, waiver or reduction of license fee and extension of L-1 license without the competent authority approval. The probe agencies alleged that beneficiaries diverted “illegal” gains to the accused officials and made false entries in their books of account to evade detection.
The CBI has however not named Sisodia in the charge sheet as the central probe agency kept the probe open against him and other suspects and accused. Officials arrested him today after eight hours of questioning. According to reports citing the Anti-Corruption Branch, he had been questioned about various aspects of the Excise policy, his alleged link with Dinesh Arora (purportedly a close associate) and other accused in the FIR, and details of message exchanges from multiple phones among others.
