Sisodia’s arrest height of dictatorship, black day for democracy: AAP

PTI, Feb 27, 2023, 8:31 AM IST

New Delhi: Delhi Police personnel escort Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia form Rajghat ahead of his questioning by CBI in the liquor policy case, in New Delhi, Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023. (Credit: PTI Photo/Manvender Vashist Lav)

New Delhi: The AAP on Sunday described the arrest of party leader and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia as the ”height of dictatorship” and a ”black day for democracy”.

The party said the BJP ”carried out” the arrest due to political vendetta and said God will not forgive Prime Minister Narendra Modi for it.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who along with his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann visited Sisodia’s residence here, said the AAP will take responsibility for his deputy’s family.

”Bhagwant Mann and I met the wife of Manish Sisodia, who has been suffering from multiple sclerosis, and assured her that we will look after them (Sisodia’s family). We told her not to worry as her husband is innocent and is fighting for the country,” Kejriwal said.

Kejriwal said Sisodia’s arrest is ”nothing but dirty politics”.

”Manish Sisodia is innocent and his arrest is nothing but dirty politics. There is a lot of anger among the people over his arrest. Everyone is watching and the public will give a befitting response. His arrest will only boost our spirits further, our struggle will get stronger,” he said.

Mann said sending Sisodia behind the bars is an example of the BJP’s ”cowardice”.

”Sending nation builders to jail is part of the BJP’s agenda. The arrest of Manish Sisodia is an example of BJP’s cowardice and the Aam Aadmi Party vehemently condemns this,” he said.

The CBI on Sunday arrested Sisodia in connection with alleged corruption in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped excise policy for 2021-22 relating to the sale of alcohol.

In a tweet in Hindi, AAP MP Sanjay Singh said, ”Sisodia’s arrest is the height of dictatorship. You have arrested a good person and the best education minister which is not the right thing, Modi ji. God will not forgive you. One day, your dictatorship will definitely end, Modi ji.”

The AAP’s official handle tweeted in Hindi, ”It is a black day for democracy. The BJP’s CBI has arrested the world’s best education minister Manish Sisodia, who has shaped the future of many children, in a false case. The BJP has carried out this arrest due to political vendetta.”

AAP spokesperson and MLA Atishi said Sisodia was arrested because of the growing popularity of the party and Kejriwal.

She said Sisodia is the education minister who turned around government schools and educated 20 lakh poor children of Delhi.

”Lakhs of poor children were given a good future by him. He shattered the notion that government schools cannot provide good education and increased confidence in them.

”He has sent several poor children to IITs, big universities and medical colleges. The BJP is saying he was involved in a Rs 10,000 crore scam. But where is that Rs 10,000 crore,” Atishi asked during a press conference.

She said even after one year of investigation and multiple raids at Sisodia’s residence, office and bank locker, the CBI couldn’t find corruption of even Re 1.

”After one year of investigation, CBI and ED investigations, 500 officers could not prove that he did corruption of even Re 1. Today’s arrest is related to AAP’s rising popularity,” she charged.

Using the opportunity to project Kejriwal as an alternative to PM Modi, Atishi said that by arresting Sisodia, the BJP is ”digging its own grave” and that the AAP will be the reason why the BJP’s name will be ”erased from history”.

”Sisodia will become the future education minister of the country,” she claimed.

”They will arrest one Manish Sisodia and 1,000 more Manish Sisodia will rise in the AAP and across the country. I challenge the BJP that whenever this case will go to court, they will not be able to prove corruption of even Re 1,” she added.

Sisodia was arrested by the CBI after nearly eight hours of questioning as his answers were not satisfactory, officials said.

The AAP leader arrived at the CBI headquarters around 11:12 am for the second round of questioning.

The AAP leader, the accused number one in the CBI FIR, was first questioned on October 17.