Not scared of jails: Kejriwal comes to Sisodia's rescue over LG's liquor policy probe order

New Delhi, July 22: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has come to his deputy Manish Sisodia's rescue after Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena recommended a CBI probe into the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22.

He said that the "whole case is false. I know Sisodia for the past 22 years. He is honest. When he became minister, Delhi government schools were in poor condition. He worked day and night to bring them up to a level where a judge's child and a rickshaw driver's child sit together to study," ANI quoted Kejriwal in a tweet.

His remarks came after Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena recommended a CBI probe into the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 over alleged violations of rules and procedural lapses. Sisodia heads the Excise department of the Delhi government.

"I came to know that a case has been sent to the CBI against Manish Sisodia and they are going to arrest him in a few days. It is a completely fake case. There is not even an iota of truth in this case," Kejriwal said.

The Delhi CM accused the Centre of targeting the AAP leader by framing in made-up cases. "We're not scared of jails, not scared of the noose. They have made several cases against our people. AAP has been growing since its win in Punjab. They cannot see us rise to a national level thus they are resorting to such measures. But nothing will stop us," Kejriwal added.

The Delhi CM said that he knew Sisodia would be arrested soon. "I knew this months back. The country has a new system now, they decide who to send to jail and then a made-up case is presented," he further stated.

The CBI inquiry was recommended on Delhi Chief Secretary's report filed earlier this month, showing prima facie violations of GNCTD Act 1991, Transaction of Business Rules (ToBR)-1993, Delhi Excise Act-2009 and Delhi Excise Rules-2010, officials said.

The LG has found "substantive indications" of "financial quid pro quo" at the "top political level" wherein the excise minister "took and got executed major decisions in violation of the statutory provisions" and notified the Excise Policy that had "huge financial implications", according to PTI sources.