'All cases will be withdrawn if...': Arvind Kejriwal targets Centre over CBI action against Sisodia

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday targeted the Centre, saying all cases against his arrested colleagues Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain will be withdrawn if they join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Manish Sisodia has been arrested by the CBI in an alleged liquor scam while Jain, currently in jail, is facing a money laundering probe by the ED.

Today, the chief minister said two people who brought laurels to India have been jailed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He claimed that the excise policy was just an excuse and "there was no scam". "The PM wanted to stop good work in Delhi...Manish Sisodia was arrested as he did good work in education, Satyendar Jain was arrested as he did good work in health," the chief minister said. 

Kejriwal further claimed that former education minister Manish Sisodia would be released in a minute if he joins the BJP. "If Manish Sisodia joins BJP today, won't he be released tomorrow? All cases will be withdrawn. If Satyendar Jain joins BJP today, all cases will be withdrawn and he would be released from jail tomorrow," Kejriwal was quoted as saying by the news agency ANI.

Attacking the Centre, the chief minister said the issue was not corruption but to stop work and send the CBI and ED after the opposition leaders. "There is no corruption in liquor policy. The prime minister doesn't want good work to be done," Kejriwal said, adding that the work will not stop.

Jain was arrested by the ED in May last year while Sisodia was held this Sunday. The local court has sent Sisodia, who is accused of favouring liquor vendors by tweaking rules in the new excise policy, to CBI custody till March 5. Sisodia had challenged his arrest in the Supreme Court but got no relief and was asked to approach the High Court. On Tuesday, Sisodia and Jain resigned from the Cabinet.