Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday claimed that his deputy Manish Sisodia, who has been called for questioning in the Delhi liquor policy case by the CBI, would be arrested on Sunday. Speaking at the second edition of ABP Network 'Ideas of India' Summit, Kejriwal said Sisodia had been framed in a "false" case and nothing was found during searches at his home and bank lockers.
"Manish Sisodia has been called on Sunday for questioning by CBI. As per our sources, he will be arrested that day. The CBI raided his residence and searched his bank lockers, but nothing was found. Sisodia offered hope of a good future to crores of poor children in the country through a revolution in education. A conspiracy has been hatched to defame such a person by implicating him in a false case," Kejriwal said.
The CBI has already filed a chargesheet in the liquor policy case but Sisodia has not been named as accused.
READ | CMs Arvind Kejriwal, Bhagwant Mann Meet Uddhav Thackeray In Mumbai
The CBI has alleged that many ineligible vendors were awarded licences by the Delhi government in exchange for bribes. The excise policy, introduced in November 2021, was withdrawn eight months later.
The AAP supremo said he and Sisodia were friends for the past 23 years and narrated an incident of how he met his party collegue.
"I first met Sisodia in December 1999 when I was working in the Income Tax department. During that time, I started an NGO called Parivartan and launched a website where people could inform of govt officials who took bribe. I was working from behind and no one knew about my involvement," the Delhi CM said.
"We advertised for volunteers to run the campaign through our website and Manish Sisodia was the first volunteer. We first met on December 29, 1999," Kejriwal said.
The AAP chief said he never thought he would take the political plunge. Kejriwal said it was beyond his imagination that AAP, which started as a movement against corruption in politics, would form a government within a year of its formation.
"We had to pass the Lokpal bill, so we formed a party. We are doing good work and it must be spread across the country. My wish is to make India the number one country in the world before I die," Kejriwal said.
Kejriwal Hits Out At Modi Govt Over Adani Row
Hitting out at the Modi government over the Adani-Hindenburg row, Kejriwal said only a select 2-4 people were being given loans worth thousands of crores and when they fail to pay them, it is being written off by banks.
"Banks are not seeing if a particular company is worth giving a loan. On the other hand, if farmers take loan and fail to pay back on time, they are harassed due to which they end their lives," the Delhi CM said.
The stocks of Adani Group have taken a beating since US short-seller Hindenburg Research accused it of stock manipulation and accounting fraud. The Adani Group has denied any wrongdoing and has threatened to sue Hindenburg.
Kejriwal On His Meeting With Uddhav Thackeray
Before the summit, Kejriwal met Shiv Sena (UBT) head Uddhav Thackeray at the latter's residence in Mumbai's Bandra. The meeting, which was attended by Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and AAP MP Raghav Chadha, assumes significance as the Election Commission had recently allotted the 'Shiv Sena' name and 'bow and arrow' symbol to the faction headed by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
Kejriwal said politics was not discussed during the meeting and the leaders deliberated on burning issues facing the country like unemployment, inflation, Adani row, favouritism of some corporate houses by looting the pople and farmer welfare.
On the row over the Shiv Sena name, which has now reached the Supreme Court, Kejriwal said the whole of Maharashtra is with Uddhav Thackeray.
"Uddhav ji ke pitaji (Bal Thackeray) sher the, sher ka beta hai woh. Unka sara saaman chori kar liya gaya. Chor thori sher baan sakta hai (Uddhav is the son of Bal Thackeray, who was a lion. Uddhav is the son of a lion. All his things were stolen from him, including his party. A thief can never be a lion)," the AAP chief said.