After being questioned for over nine hours by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Manish Sisodia, Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister, has been arrested on allegations of corruption related to the withdrawn liquor policy of Delhi. The CBI had been interrogating him since the morning before taking him into custody.
Sisodia had previously stated that he was prepared to spend up to seven to eight months in jail. His party chief and Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, had assured him that they would take care of his family in his absence.
"Manish is innocent. His arrest is dirty politics. There is a lot of anger among the people due to the arrest of Manish. Everyone is watching. People are understanding everything. People will respond to this. This will boost our spirits further. Our struggle will get stronger," Kejriwal tweeted after Sisodia's arrest.
AAP's Sanjay Singh directly slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi over Sisodia's arrest. "Manish Sisodia's arrest is the height of dictatorship. Modi ji, you have not done a good thing by arresting a good person and the best Education Minister. Even God will not forgive you. One day your dictatorship will definitely end," he tweeted.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) have been investigating several senior leaders and close associates of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) since the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 was withdrawn on July 31, 2022. The Delhi government decided to revert to the "old excise regime" that was enforced before November 17, 2020.
In response, Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena requested a CBI investigation into alleged violations of rules and procedural flaws in the policy's implementation. The CBI and ED have conducted numerous searches at various locations across the country, including the home of the Deputy Chief Minister, who has not been identified as an accused by the CBI. The AAP and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have also been embroiled in a political dispute over the alleged scandal.
The BJP said the Delhi government went back to the old liquor policy in the state only to cover up corruption in the excise department.
"The BJP has been saying Manish Sisodia is corrupt. But you didn't get anything from his house or bank accounts. They haven't been able to prove any allegation against him. His arrest is a matter of attacking AAP and Kejriwal's popularity," Aam Aadmi Party's Aatishi said at a press conference earlier.