Manish Sisodia makes BIG claim after liquor policy roll back, accuses BJP of THREATENING shopkeepers, officers

Credits: ANI

New Delhi: Delhi's deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, while addressing a press conference in the national capital, on Saturday (July 30, 2022) said the Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) used the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to threaten liquor licensees and excise officials.

Sisodia lashed out at BJP and accused them of foul play. "They (BJP) are threatening shopkeepers, officers with ED and CBI, they want legal liquor shops to be closed in Delhi and earn money from illegal shops. We've decided to stop the new liquor policy and ordered to open govt liquor shops," Sisodia said. 

He alleged they were "running an illegal liquor business in Gujarat" and they wanted to do it now in Delhi also. "They want to create a shortage of liquor so that they can run an illegal liquor trade in Delhi like they are doing in Gujarat. But we will not let this happen," Sisodia said.

Manish Sisodia said, "We brought a new liquor policy to stop corruption. Before that government used to get around Rs 6,000 Cr revenue from 850 liquor shops. But, after the new policy, our govt would have got more than Rs 9,000 Cr with the same number of shops."

They (BJP) are threatening shopkeepers, officers with ED and CBI, they want legal liquor shops to be closed in Delhi and earn money from illegal shops. We've decided to stop the new liquor policy and ordered to open govt liquor shops: Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia

— ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2022

With only two days left for the current excise policy to expire, the Delhi government has decided to go back to the old regime of retail liquor sales for six months. The Excise Policy 2021-22, which was extended twice after March 31 for two months each, will expire on July 31.

Sisodia on Thursday directed the excise department to "revert" to the old regime of the excise policy for a period of six months till a fresh policy is in place. 

According to a news agency ANI report, the draft policy has yet to be sent to Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena for approval. The strained ties between the Centre and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi worsened last week when LG Vinai Kumar Saxena recommended a CBI probe into the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22, holding Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, in-charge of the excise department, accountable.

Right after this move, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal lashed out at the Centre, saying the Lieutenant Governor was making "false allegations" and leaders of the AAP were "not afraid of jail".

Delhi LG’s levied allegatio on Delhi government following a report submitted by Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar on the matter, in which Manish Sisodia was accused of providing undue benefits to liquor vend licencees in lieu of "kickbacks" and "commissions" and the money being used in the recent Punjab elections.

(With agency inputs)