Manish Sisodia arrest: How AAP, BJP and Cong reacted?

The AAP leader arrived at the CBI headquarters around 11.12 am for the second round of questioning.

The CBI on Sunday evening arrested Delhi Dy CM Manish Sisodia in connection with the alleged corruption in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped excise policy for 2021-22.

His arrest has been criticised by the AAP, while the BJP and Congress have welcomed it. Check out how leaders and parties reacted to Sisodia's arrest.

AAP
The Aam Aadmi Party described the arrest of party leader and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia as the height of dictatorship and a "black day for democracy". "It is a black day for democracy. BJP'S CBI has arrested world's best education minister Manish Sisodia who has shaped the future of several children in a false case. BJP has carried out this arrest due to political vendetta," the AAP tweeted.

AAP spokesperson and MLA Atishi said Sisodia was arrested because of the growing popularity of the party and its leader Arvind Kejriwal. She said Sisodia is that education minister who turned around government schools and educated 20 lakh poor children of Delhi. "Lakhs of poor children given a good future by him. He shattered the notion that government schools cannot provide good education and increased confidence in them. "He has sent several poor children to the IITs, big universities and medical colleges.The BJP is saying he was involved in a Rs 10,000 crore scam. But where is that Rs 10,000 crore?" she asked during a press conference.

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the arrest of his deputy, Manish Sisodia, by the CBI is dirty politics and asserted that he was innocent. "Manish is innocent. His arrest is dirty politics. His arrest has angered people quite a lot. People are watching everything. People now understand everything and will give a reply to this. It will boost our spirit and our struggle will only get stronger," Kejriwal said in a tweet in Hindi.

LoP Ramvir Singh Bidhuri
Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri has said Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia's arrest is law taking its course, which is not surprising as a liquor scam worth thousands of rupees was done in the national capital. In a statement, The LoP asserted that now Sisodia will have to answer all the questions and clear the role of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in this scam. "Law is taking its course and that is why Sisodia has been arrested. There is nothing surprising in this. Thousands of rupees liquor scam was done in Delhi and from the arrests made so far, it was believed that Manish Sisodia would also be arrested eventually," he said in a statement.

"The Delhi government had to withdraw the excise policy due to the liquor scam," the BJP leader added. Bidhuri said Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Kejriwal has claimed many times that Sisodia will be arrested as he knew that a liquor scam worth thousands of crores has been done.

"That's why Sisodia was also repeatedly expressing apprehension of his arrest. Now whatever questions are there in the liquor scam, Sisodia will have to answer them. He will also have to clear the role of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in this whole scam," he added.

In a video statement, BJP MP Manoj Tiwari alleged that Sisodia is not only accused of the liquor scam but has also tried to bury the evidence and that the investigating agency is yet to reach the mastermind of the scam. "Law is taking its course. After the 8-hour interrogation, CBI arrested Manish Sisodia, who is accused in the Liquor scam.

He is not only accused in this scam but has also tried to bury the evidence, which makes this crime more serious. The investigating agencies are yet to reach the mastermind of the scam," Tiwari said.

BJP
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia or other AAP leaders never answered questions related to suspected corruption in the liquor policy, the BJP said, asserting that it believes there is merit in the case against the arrested leader.

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra alleged that Sisodia must be the only education minister in the world who is involved in liquor scam, and added the entire episode is an eye-opener and shocking. He said Delhi minister Satyendar Jain, arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case, has been rejected bail as there is merit in the case against him despite the AAP's claim of his innocence.

Similarly, the BJP believes that there is merit in the case against Sisodia, he said. Patra called Sisodia "liquor minister" and accused him of several irregularities, including a hike in commission for wholesalers to make money for his party through the back door.

Patra also rejected the allegation that politics was behind the arrest, saying probe agencies and parties are two separate entities. Probe agencies, the BJP leader said, do not work on emotion but look into technicalities and the AAP never answered technical questions about the excise policy its government had brought in the national capital.

He alleged that 45 mobile phones and other evidence were destroyed by the accused in the case. He asserted that the BJP has zero tolerance for corruption and its fight against corruption will always be on.

Delhi Cong Chief
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia's arrest by the CBI in connection with the Delhi excise policy scam case is a welcome step, Delhi Congress chief Anil Chaudhary said on Sunday, claiming that the AAP "used power to accumulate wealth".

"The arrest of Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia by the CBI is a welcome step though Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal should also be arrested as he was the master mind of the corrupt deal. "AAP used power to accumulate wealth and Kejriwal deserves to be behind bars for betraying the people of Delhi," Chaudhary alleged.