'BJP hatching conspiracy 24X7, can arrest anyone from AAP': Arvind Kejriwal on AAP member's arrest in Delhi excise policy case

New Delhi: Anyone from the AAP could be jailed on false charges as the BJP is making all-out efforts to "crush" the party fearing defeat in the upcoming Gujarat assembly polls, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Wednesday. Kejriwal's comments come a day after the CBI arrested AAP's communications in-charge, Vijay Nair, in connection with the Delhi excise policy case in which Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia is also an accused. In a digital address, Kejriwal claimed that Nair was arrested by the CBI following several rounds of questioning after he refused to buckle under the agency's pressure to give a false statement against Sisodia to implicate him in the excise policy "scam".

Nair, was arrested for his alleged role in "cartelisation" and "conspiracy" related to alleged irregularities in the allocation of liquor licenses in the capital, according to sources. Slamming the BJP-led Centre over Nair's arrest, Kejriwal charged, "They are extremely rattled and have gone crazy as the (popularity) graph of the Aam Aadmi Party in Gujarat is rising each day at a very fast pace. People of Gujarat are coming out in the streets and openly criticising them (BJP)."

The AAP national convenor claimed that Nair had nothing to do with the alleged liquor policy scam but was arrested by the CBI as he refused to give in to their pressure to give a false statement against Sisodia to implicate him in the case. First, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain was arrested, then AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan and now Nair on "completely false" charges, Kejriwal said. "Next week, they are going to arrest Sisodia. If they can arrest a small party worker like Nair, they can arrest anybody," he said.

Kejriwal accused the BJP-led Centre of "hatching a conspiracy 24X7" to frame AAP leaders in false cases, fearing their defeat in the upcoming Gujarat assembly elections.