'Unnecessary theatrics': BJP slams Manish Sisodia over liquor policy scam, calls AAP 'party of serial liars'

Sambit Patra called AAP 'a party of serial liars' and accused Manish Sisodia of indulging in practices that support his "personal interests" rather than the public interests.

Representational Image: ANI

New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sambit Patra on Wednesday (August 31, 2022) lashed out at Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia over his government's excise policy scam and called the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) a party of “serial liars”. The BJP spokesperson also accused Arvind Kejriwal's deputy of indulging in practices that support his "personal interests" rather than the public ones. 

“Right before Satyendra Jain's arrest, they were doing the same theatrics but Satyendra is yet to be granted bail. Manish Sisodia has done the liquor gate scam & that is the reason they're indulging in theatrics again. AAP is a party of serial liars,” the news agency ANI quoted Patra as saying.

Delhi | Right before Satyendra Jain's arrest, they were doing same theatrics but Satyendra is yet to be granted bail. Manish Sisodia has done the liquor gate scam & that is the reason they're indulging in theatrics again. AAP is a party of serial liars: BJP leader Sambit Patra pic.twitter.com/yJm0olMFqW — ANI (@ANI) August 31, 2022

Manish Sisodia has been criticised over a liquor scam wherein the opposition is demanding his resignation from all posts of AAP.

Earlier this week, Gandhian activist Anna Hazare also expressed his disappointment over the issue and wrote a letter to Arvind Kejriwal, calling him “power drunk.” 

“Just as there is an intoxication of alcohol, in the same way, there is an intoxication of power. You too have drowned in the intoxication of such power,” he wrote.

Last month, Delhi Lt Governor V K Saxena recommended a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities in the implementation of Delhi's Excise Policy 2021-22. Immediately after that, the Delhi government repealed the new policy.

CBI raid on Manish Sisodia's residence and locker

Earlier, the CBI also raided Sisodia's residence and checked his bank locker in connection with the alleged liquor scam. 

"Sisodia has been informally given a clean chit by the CBI but will be arrested in a week or 10 days under political pressure. They (BJP) are using Anna Hazare as people don't believe in their liquor scam charge," Kejriwal said.

A four-member team of the CBI searched for a Punjab National Bank branch in Vasundhara, Ghaziabad, for nearly two hours. Sisodia and his wife were present at the time.

After the CBI team went through his locker for about two hours, Sisodia said the probe agency has given him a "clean chit". The CBI was acting under pressure, he told reporters.

The Aam Aadmi Party leader is among the 15 people and entities named in an FIR registered by the agency in connection with alleged irregularities in the implementation of the Delhi government's Excise Policy 2021-22.

(With agency inputs)