‘Manish Sisodia May Be Arrested, I May Also Be Arrested’: Kejriwal Attacks Centre Over Excise Policy Case

Praising Sisodia, Kejriwal said that “he should get Bharat Ratna” for “reforming government schools”, “but instead, they conducted CBI raids on him,” he said. 

Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal during his visit to Gujarat.

Source : Twitter/@AamAadmiParty

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday took a jibe at the Centre saying that his deputy, Manish Sisodia “may be arrested” in connection with the alleged case of corruption in the implementation of liquor policy in Delhi. “Who knows, I may also be arrested,” Kejriwal said, alleging that “all this is being done for Gujarat elections.” 

Speaking during a campaign in Ahmedabad in an attempt to gain some foothold before Gujarat Assembly elections, Kejriwal said, “Manish Sisodia may be arrested, who knows I may also be arrested; all this is being done for Gujarat elections.” 

Manish Sisodia may be arrested, who knows I may also be arrested; all this is being done for Gujarat elections: Arvind Kejriwal

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 22, 2022

Praising Sisodia, Kejriwal said that “he should get Bharat Ratna” for “reforming government schools”, “but instead, they conducted CBI raids on him,” he said. 

"He (Manish Sisodia) reformed govt schools which other parties could not do in 70 years. Such a person should get Bharat Ratna. The entire country's education system should be handed over to him, but instead, they conducted CBI raids on him," Kejriwal said. 

He also targeted the BJP-ruled Gujarat government saying that people of Gujarat have been “bearing the brunt of arrogance of BJP regime of last 27 years in the state.” 

The Delhi Chief Minister in his address claimed that they had no other option than to return to old excise policy because “there was pressure on the officers of the Centre, LG, and agencies, so they refused to auction the shops under the new policy.”

“We had no option other than the old policy. If we did not do this, then all the shops would be closed and like Gujarat, fake liquor would start selling,” Kejriwal said adding that “we will keep the prohibition which is in force in Gujarat, but we will not do illegal liquor business.”

केंद्र, LG, Agencies का अफ़सरों पर दबाव था इसलिए उन्होंने New Policy के तहत दुकानों की नीलामी से मना कर दिया

हमारे पास पुरानी Policy के अलावा कोई Option नहीं था। अगर हम ऐसा ना करते तो सारी दुकानें बंद हो जाती और Gujarat की तरह नक़ली शराब बिकनी शुरू हो जाती

-श्री @ArvindKejriwal pic.twitter.com/t0ISuEdy0D

— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) August 22, 2022

Recently, the CBI had conducted raids at the residence, office and 30 other locations associated with Manish Sisodia in connection with the Delhi excise policy case. 

Earlier in the day, Sisodia claimed that he had received a message from BJP that if he breaks the Aam Aadmi Party and joins the saffron party, “all CBI-ED cases against him will get closed”. 

During the press conference in Ahmedabad, where Sisodia was also present, he claimed that those “who had offered me to join BJP told me that they were the ones who made Suvendu Adhikari join BJP in West Bengal and others elsewhere like Himanta Sarma, Baijayant Pandya and Narayan Rane.”