On a day when former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia completed a year behind bars in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday took a jibe at the Centre saying the probe agencies couldn’t furnish evidence of even a rupee of corruption against the former.
Speaking to media persons in the national capital on Monday, CM Kejriwal said, “He was arrested in a fake case. Today marks the completion of one year since he was arrested. During this time, the central agencies, which are at the beck and call of the BJP at the Centre, could not produce evidence (of corruption) worth even a rupee.”
He claimed the fellow AAP leader’s innocence in the case was reaffirmed in one of the Supreme Court hearings when “Judge Sahib said the central government had no case against Manish Sisodia. It is nothing but a fabricated case.”
Invoking the role of the arrested AAP leader in “shaping the future” of poor children (through education reforms in the national capital), CM Kejriwal said, “Manish Sisodia-ji brought education reforms at a time when our government schools were in bad shape. He gave hope to the poor, 75 years after Independence, that their children could receive quality education and dream about a secure future.”
“For such a man to be framed in a false case and put behind bars was deeply unfortunate. He is and will remain an inspiration for us. Had he joined the BJP, all cases against him would have been withdrawn. However, he did not leave the path of truth,” the AAP convenor added.
A year ago, on February 26, Mr Sisodia was arrested by the CBI in the excise policy case. A month later, he was also arrested by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in the same case.
Earlier in the day, CM Kejriwal, along with AAP MLAs and ministers, reached Rajghat to mark one year of Mr Sisodia’s arrest.
On skipping the seventh summons issued by the ED in connection with the excise police case, he said earlier in the day, “They want us to break away from the alliance (INDIA). The ED, itself, has approached the court in the matter. So, why can’t they wait for the court to deliver its verdict in the case? While the matter is in court, they are sending summons repeatedly. Informally, we have received messages to break away from the (Opposition) alliance. However, we are with INDIA and are going nowhere.”
On February 22, the Directorate of Enforcement issued its seventh summons to Mr Kejriwal, asking him to appear before the agency in connection with the excise policy case.
Responding to the summons, the AAP said in an official release, “The matter is in the court and the next hearing is on March 16. Instead of sending summons daily, the ED should wait for the court’s decision. We will not leave the INDIA alliance. Modi government should not create pressure like this.”
The ED had earlier issued the sixth summons to Mr Kejriwal on February 14, asking him to appear on February 19.
However, the AAP convenor has skipped all CBI summonses so far.
