CBI raid on Manish Sisodia: Several accused summoned in Delhi liquor policy case

New Delhi: A day after raids were carried out at 31 places including the residence of Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and IAS officer Arava Gopi Krishna, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has summoned several accused for questioning on Saturday in the corruption case related to the implementation of the Delhi Excise Policy. Delhi's Deputy Chief and senior AAP leader Minister Manish Sisodia is among the 15 persons named by the central probe agency in its FIR in connection with an alleged excise policy case. The investigative agency is examining the documents seized during these raids.

Once the process of examining the documents and electronic gadgets, as well as the bank transactions, is completed, summonses will be issued to other accused, the CBI said. The CBI has also shared the FIR which was registered before a special court on Wednesday with the Enforcement Directorate.

Meanwhile, a heated war of words between the Aam Aadmi Party and  Bhartiya Janta Party escalated after the CBI named Manish Sisodia an accused in the case. It started with AAP condemning the raids, and then Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal claimed the agency has been "asked from above" to harass its leaders. The BJP asked the Delhi government to come out clean on its excise policy.

Later on Saturday, the BJP alleged that AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was the "kingpin" in the "liquor scam".

Union Minister Anurag Thakur while addressing a press conference on Saturday said, "the party had made tall claims ahead of several elections but could not stand before Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It could not open its account in the assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand."

"It is a government of "revdi" (freebies) and it is also a "bevdi" (drunkards) government", Thakur said questioning why the AAP returned over Rs 144 crore to liquor companies without the Cabinet approval.

Sisodia is the accused number one in the case but Kejriwal is the kingpin behind the scam, Thakur said.

Taking a dig at the deputy chief minister, Thakur referred to him as "Money Shh", alleging that he makes money and maintains silence.

Thakur said Kejriwal's "left hand" Satyendar Jain is already in jail on corruption charges and his "right hand" Sisodia is facing serious charges.

The party which would make big claims against corruption is now immersed in it from Delhi to Punjab, he alleged.

BJP-AAP's war of words on the New York Times story

In a reaction to the CBI raids, Arvind Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi, "The day (sic) Delhi education model's praise and Manish Sisodia's photograph was published on the front page of America's largest (selling) newspaper NYT, Centre sent the CBI to Manish's residence."

जिस दिन अमेरिका के सबसे बड़े अख़बार NYT के फ़्रंट पेज पर दिल्ली शिक्षा मॉडल की तारीफ़ और मनीष सिसोदिया की तस्वीर छपी, उसी दिन मनीष के घर केंद्र ने CBI भेजी

CBI का स्वागत है। पूरा cooperate करेंगे। पहले भी कई जाँच/रेड हुईं। कुछ नहीं निकला। अब भी कुछ नहीं निकलेगा https://t.co/oQXitimbYZ

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) August 19, 2022

Hitting back, the BJP dubbed the NYT story published with a photograph of Sisodia as "paid news" and accused the Kejriwal dispensation of "wasting" public money on such publicity.

"How is it that New York Times and Khaleej Times carry the same article, word by word, authored by the same person, same pictures (that too of a private school) on Delhi's non-existent education model?? BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya asked in a tweet.

How is it that New York Times and Khaleej Times carry exactly the same article, word by word, authored by the same person, same pictures (that too of a private school) on Delhi’s non existent education model?

Arvind Kejriwal’s best defence is nothing but paid promotion… pic.twitter.com/M3z3ZpmsKX

— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) August 19, 2022

"Arvind Kejriwal's best defence is nothing but paid promotion...," he added. North East Delhi BJP MP Manoj Tiwari too alleged that the AAP was "wasting" public money on publicity.

"Caught here too. New York Times and Khaleej Times same word to word...The same author also. Shameless AAP is wasting money of Delhi public for publishing its photos by paying money," Tiwari tweeted in Hindi.

Responding to the charges, the AAP said, "It is outrightly funny and stupid that the BJP is claiming the NYT story to be a paid article. Anyone working in the media can look at an article and gauge if it is paid or not.

The New York Times story on Delhi's education system was based on "an impartial and on-the-ground reporting", the American newspaper said on Friday, rejecting the paid news charge.

(With agency inputs)