Was pressured to quit AAP, offered Delhi CM's post: Sisodia after CBI questioning
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia was questioned by the CBI in connection with the alleged scam in Delhi excise policy even as the former dubbed the allegations against him as "fake" and claimed the agency's action was because the BJP was "scared" of the AAP's "popularity" in poll-bound Gujarat.
After the nine-hour long questioning, Sisodia alleged that the CBI investigators pressured him to leave AAP, a claim denied by the CBI.
In a statement, the CBI said Sisodia was “examined strictly on the allegations in the FIR and the evidence collected so far”. It said Sisodia’s statement will be verified in due course and further action taken as per requirements of investigation.
“Some sections of the media have aired a video in which, after leaving the CBI office, Manish Sisodia has stated on camera that during his questioning in CBI, he was threatened to leave his political party and similar such insinuations. CBI strongly refutes these allegations and reiterates that examination of Sisodia was carried out in a professional and legal manner strictly as per the allegations against him in the FIR,” it said.
After visiting his party office and Mahatma Gandhi's memorial Rajghat, Sisodia drove straight to the CBI headquarters around 11:15 AM and appeared before the Anti-Corruption Branch investigators. The CBI also questioned Raghava Reddy, the son of YSR Congress Lok Sabha MP Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy.
A large number of AAP workers gathered outside his residence and went with him to the CBI office. AAP Rajya Sabha leader Sanjay Singh and a number of AAP protesters were detained outside CBI headquarters for violation of prohibitory orders, officials said.
Campaigning in Gujarat, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal said Sisodia would be arrested in a bid to stop him from electioneering. "The results of Gujarat elections will be out on December 8. They will keep Sisodia in jail till then so that he can not go to Gujarat for campaigning," Kejriwal said.
"We are followers of Bhagat Singh, we do not fear going to jail. Do not regret If I go to jail, feel proud for it," Sisodia said at the AAP office. Before heading to the CBI office, he also took blessings of his mother and his wife applied tilak.
He said "a completely fake case" has been prepared against him and "nothing was found" in the raid at his residence, search of his bank lockers and inquiries made at his village. It is totally a fake case," he added.
The BJP attacked AAP with its spokesperson Sambit Patra saying the AAP has turned out to be the "biggest corrupt party". "AAP is the biggest gimmick party. It was formed to fight corruption and its leaders turned out to be the most corrupt," Patra alleged.
BJP MP Manoj Tiwari said, "Today they are taking out a procession, tomorrow people will teach them a lesson...Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal says they are like Bhagat Singh. This is not only an insult to Shahid-e-Azam Bhagat Singh but also to all those freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives for the Independence of the country," Tiwari said.
The CBI has registered a case on August 17 and have arrested Vijay Nair, an AAP worker and a former CEO of Only Much Louder, and Hyderabad-based businessman Abhishek Boinpally, whose partner Arun Pillai has been named as an accused in the CBI FIR.
The agency has also conducted raids at several premises, including that of Sisodia. It has questioned Sameer Mahendru, the owner of Indo Spirits, Amit Arora, the director of Buddy Retail Private Limited in Gurugram, and India Ahead News managing director Mootha Gautam among others in connection with the case.
The CBI FIR claimed that Sisodia and other accused committed irregularities in the formulation and execution of the Delhi Excise Policy brought in November last year that led to alleged loss to the state exchequer.
The FIR alleged that payments in crores were allegedly made to "close associates" of Sisodia by Mahendru, one of the liquor traders who is also named in the FIR.