Following the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raids at Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia’s residence, AAP leaders lashed out at the BJP-led Centre, accusing it of political vendetta.
Senior AAP leader and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh said the CBI raids were the result of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “narrow-mindedness” and termed them as “extremely shameful”.
“If the Prime Minister and the BJP actually cared about the Excise Policy, they should have first started an investigation against the BJP leaders responsible for the production and sale of spurious liquor in Gujarat. Hundreds of people have lost their lives, but no investigation has taken place,” said Mr. Singh.
'Welcome the CBI'
Earlier on Friday, Mr. Sisodia issued a tweet in Hindi stating that the CBI had arrived at his residence, adding that it was “very unfortunate that those who do good work in our country are harassed like this”.
In another tweet, he said that he “welcomed the CBI” and will provide full cooperation in the investigation “so that the truth can come out soon”. Mr. Sisodia also said that his work of providing “good education in the country will not be stopped”.
The CBI conducted raids at 31 locations across six states and one union territory on Friday — including the residences of Mr. Sisodia and Delhi’s former Excise Commissioner Arava Gopi Krishna — after it registered an FIR in connection with the Delhi government’s excise policy, which was rolled out in November last year.
Remaining mum
However, the Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri accused the AAP leaders of diverting the subject and refusing to comment on whether irregularities were committed in the excise policy.
“Will AAP leaders tell how in the name of COVID-19, licence holders were given a waiver of more than ₹144 crore? Will AAP reveal the secret of how the government’s income decreased while the sale of liquor increased in the city,” Mr. Budhuri said.
Shortly after the 2021-22 Excise Policy was rolled out last year, the BJP and the Congress opposed its implementation, while the then councillors from both parties led protests calling for liquor vends in residential and non-conforming areas to be shut down.
“Previously, when raids were conducted at Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s residence, they found four mufflers. During raids at Manish Sisodia’s residence, they will get four pencils, notebooks and a geometry box,” said AAP MP Raghav Chadda.
He added that the actions undertaken by central agencies against his fellow party members were “directly proportional to the growing popularity of the Aam Aadmi Party”.
