Following the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) summons of Manish Sisodia, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of "pressure politics," claiming he was more of a "corrupt collection agent" of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal than deputy CM.
BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia chastised Kejriwal, whom he accused of being the "kingpin" of the scams in which his ministers are implicated, for comparing the action against Sisodia and another minister, Satyendar Jain, to what the British did to Bhagat Singh.
With the AAP claiming Sisodia will be arrested on Monday, when he has been summoned by the CBI for questioning in the alleged excise scam, Bhatia said the party should refrain from "pressure politics" against probe agencies.
The official Twitter handle of BJP tweeted, "Paap party’s corruption on excise policy has already been exposed after they withdrew the excise policy. Aand now that investigative agencies have made arrests as well and have summoned Manish Sisodia. They are trying to do pressure politics."
"Arvind Kejriwal these days compare himself to god and his ministers with freedom fighters. Kejriwal should be ashamed to do so as his corrupt ministers are filling his coffers while Bhagat Singh sacrificed his life for country," Bhatia alleged, news agency PTI reported.
Kejriwal should stop giving certificates to others, he said.
The BJP spokesperson also made light of the Aam Aadmi Party's claim that the central agencies' actions against its leaders were politically motivated because of its poll campaign in Gujarat.
"If you are so much scared of probe agencies, then you should not have done corruption. Sisodia is less a deputy chief minister and more a corrupt collection agent of Kejriwal," he alleged, PTI reported.
The AAP's performance has been dismal in most state polls and people have often rejected them, he said.
The CBI has summoned Sisodia for questioning on Monday in connection with alleged corruption in the formulation and implementation of the excise policy for the national capital, officials said, PTI reported.
The federal probe agency has asked the him to appear before it at its headquarters here at 11 am, they added.
In a tweet on Sunday, Sisodia said: "CBI raid was conducted at my house for 14 hours, nothing came out. Searched my bank locker, nothing came out in it. They did not find anything in my village. Now they have called me to CBI Headquarters at 11 am tomorrow. I will go and give my full cooperation. Satyameva Jayate."
(With Inputs From PTI)