Following the arrest of Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia by the Central Bureau of Investigation on Sunday, AAP leaders, including its national convener Arvind Kejriwal, came out all guns blazing to decry the BJP’s “dictatorship”.
The party leaders said that the arrest of Mr. Sisodia, considered second only to Mr. Kejriwal in AAP, marked “the beginning of the end of the BJP”.
“Today, we are seeing a trend in our country where the most honest and decent people are being thrown into jails for no reason. But on the other hand, the government protects those who have looted and defrauded the country of lakhs of crores,” Mr. Kejriwal said after visiting his deputy’s residence on Sunday.
“All these people are friends of the government and walk hand in hand with them. They [the government] fear even issuing a single notice in their [looters’] name,” he added.
At the same time, BJP MP Manoj Tiwari, in a veiled attack on Mr. Kejriwal, said the “mastermind of the liquor scam” is yet to be arrested.
Mr. Tiwari also slammed AAP leaders for using pictures of children “to gain sympathy” for the Deputy CM. The BJP alleged that Mr. Sisodia and others spread “liquor addiction in the city to make money”.
“Law is taking its course. After the 8-hour interrogation, CBI arrested Manish Sisodia, who is accused in the Liquor scam. He is not only accused in this scam but has also tried to bury the evidence, which makes this crime more serious. The investigating agencies are yet to reach the mastermind of the scam,” Mr. Tiwari said.
Senior AAP leader Atishi claimed that Mr. Sisodia was arrested not in connection with any case or investigation but owing to the rising popularity of AAP across the country.
‘Ulterior motives’
“You’ve arrested one Manish Sisodia, but thousands of Sisodias will be born in the country,” Ms. Atishi, who is considered close to Mr. Sisodia, said in a press conference on Sunday.
“This arrest will be the first day of the end of the BJP’s rule,” she said.
She condemned the BJP’s “dictatorship” and said, “They have investigative agencies. They can arrest and jail anyone... But I challenge them [investigative agencies] to give proof for even one rupee of corruption when the trial begins in court.”
AAP chief spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj said the arrest was based on a “lie”.
Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said, “Now, Sisodia must answer all questions about the liquor scam. He will also have to clear the role of Mr. Kejriwal in this case.”
“Law is taking its course and that is why Sisodia has been arrested. There is nothing surprising in this. The liquor scam worth thousands of crores of rupees was done and from the arrests made so far, it was believed that Sisodia would also be arrested eventually,” he also said.
‘Law taking its course’
“The Delhi government had to withdraw the excise policy due to the liquor scam,” the BJP leader added.
Mr. Bidhuri said the CM has claimed many times that Mr. Sisodia will be arrested as he knew that a liquor scam worth thousands of crores has been done.
“That’s why Sisodia was also repeatedly expressing apprehension of his arrest. Now whatever questions are there in the liquor scam, Sisodia will have to answer them. He will also have to clear the role of Kejriwal in this whole scam,” he added.
Meanwhile, Delhi BJP working president Virendra Sachdeva said that the people of Delhi were ashamed to find that the leaders they had elected were “neck deep in corruption and scams”.
“Delhi has become the first State where two Ministers are in jail. Manish Sisodia and Satyendra Jain were the flag-bearers of Arvind Kejriwal’s ‘politics of change’,” the BJP leader said.
