BJP, Congress Mount Corruption Allegations Against AAP Amid CBI Raid At Manish Sisodia's Residence

CBI Raids: BJP & Congress allege corruption in the AAP govt. Union Minister Anurag Thakur hit out at the Arvind Kejriwal-led party saying that the Delhi CM should "stop treating people as fools".

Union Minister Anurag Thakur & Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal

New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress on Friday hit out at the AAP-led Delhi government over the ongoing CBI raid on Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in an excise policy case.

BJP MP Parvesh Verma alleged that the AAP's liquor policy was a "huge scam", "They increased L1 commission to 12% and started taking it 6% which results worth 1000 cr in a year."

"Its links are connected to Telangana. Hotel they booked and restaurants Manish Sisodia visited to crack deals. I think there are 10-15 private players, Government people, and Manish Sisodia, he claimed, as reported by news agency ANI.

Union Minister Anurag Thakur also hit out at the Arvind Kejriwal-led party saying, "No matter how hard a corrupt person tries to prove himself innocent, he will still remain corrupt. This is not the first case of corruption by AAP. There has been huge corruption in the liquor stores in Delhi."

"Arvind Kejriwal should stop treating people as fools, and should stop addressing the people of the country... AAP, Kejriwal, and Manish Sisodia's real face has come in front of the public today," he remarked, as quoted by ANI.

The Union Minister mentioned that Delhi's liquor policy was withdrawn on the same day a CBI investigation was ordered into it.

"If there was no scam in the liquor policy, why was it withdrawn?" Anurag Thakur asked. He further alleged that the Delhi Chief Minister was shielding the corrupt as he said: "Even when Satyendra Jain went to jail for corruption, he did not sack him and then he (Jain) claimed that he lost his memory."

Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain is currently in judicial custody after being arrested in connection with a money laundering case.

"The Excise Minister has become Excuse Minister but I hope that his memory should not be lost," Anurag Thakur added.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit has alleged corruption by the AAP government in other matters.

"We were hearing about happenings in Delhi government. Surprising that raids didn't happen earlier. Be it liquor case, construction of rooms in schools, teachers recruitment, wherever you see, there should have been 10 CBI raids," Sandeep Dikshit said.

He further claimed that "Congress always suspected an agreement between AAP and BJP. AAP is making money, damaging Congress, and supporting BJP. Now they (BJP) might have felt they're (AAP) not needed anymore so all sins of AAP will come out."

"We will see if BJP strikes an agreement with them or does justice," the Congress leader remarked.

CBI Raids Over Excise Policy Case

The CBI carried out searches at 21 locations in the Delhi and National Capital Region, including at the premises of Deputy CM Manish Sisodia.

The searches are on in seven states and a union territory, including the premises of the then Excise Commissioner Arava Gopi Krishna and two more public servants, ANI reported a CBI official as informing.

Under the former Excise Commissioner Arava Gopi Krishna's tenure, the revamped Excise policy was approved.

"CBI is welcome. We will give full cooperation. Searches/raids took place earlier too, but nothing was found. Nothing will be found now too," Kejriwal tweeted mentioning that the CBI has raided his residence on the day when the picture of the Delhi Model and Manish Sisodia appeared on the front page of America's biggest newspaper New York Times.

Sisodia today tweeted that allegations made against him and the Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain were not true.

"These people are troubled by the excellent work of Delhi's education and health. That is why the health minister and the education minister of Delhi are on the radar so that the good work of education and health can be stopped," Sisodia wrote.

"I extend my welcome to the CBI. I will cooperate with the investigation so that the truth comes out at the earliest. Till now many cases have been filed against me but nothing has come out. Nothing will come out of it either. My work cannot be stopped for a good education in the country," Sisodia tweeted.