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PremiumThe CBI arrested Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in connection with alleged corruption in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped liquor policy for 2021-22 after nearly eight hours of questioning on Sunday. Officials said that his answers had not been found satisfactory. Meanwhile, AAP leaders have defended Sisodia saying that he is ‘innocent’. On Monday, the party members staged protests near the BJP headquarters.
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“There are many Manish Sisodias that have been arrested earlier in the country, a Kerala journalist was put behind bars for 1.5 years for covering the Hathras incident...there are many journalists, and writers who are locked inside the jails. So the common man should think about what's happening in the country. Religion-based politics will not be good for the nation," said Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot.
The BJP on Monday demanded CM Arvind Kejriwal's resignation for the arrest of two of his ministers in cases of alleged corruption. The party also criticised AAP's street protests against Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia's arrest, asserting that the CBI is acting lawfully against the "corrupt".
"We condemn the arrest of Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia by CBI. It is nothing more than diverting people's attention from Adani - Modi nexus," the party tweeted.
Sisodia's counsel, while opposing the probe agency's plea for custody, submitted that the CBI says he changed his cell phones, but that is not a crime.
The counsel said the policy was implemented after taking suggestions even from the Delhi lieutenant governor and that since it required consultations, there was no chance of conspiracy.
The Rouse Avenue Court has reserved its order in the case pertaining to CBI seeking remand of Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia. The Delhi court is likely to pronounce its order on CBI's plea for custodial interrogation of Manish Sisodia later on Monday.
“The arrest of Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia by CBI is another example of how BJP misuses the Union Government's agencies to intimidate the opposition. It's a blatant abuse of power aned an attack on democracy," tweets Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan.
“I am told that most CBI officers were against Manish's arrest. All of them have huge respect for him and there is no evidence against him," he tweeted.
Read more: 'Political pressure': Kejriwal says most CBI officers against Sisodia's arrest
The CBI said that a "conspiracy was hatched in a very planned and secret manner". The probe agency has sought five days remand of the AAP leader.
Senior Advocate Dayan Krishnan has opposed the remand application. “If someone is not willing to say something, that can't be a ground for arrest," he asserted.
The Aam Aadmi Party has alleged that 80 per cent of its leaders were arrested by Delhi Police since Sunday, and questioned whether anyone can be detained for more than 24 hours. Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia was arrested by the CBI on Sunday in connection with alleged corruption in the now-scrapped excise policy. The police detained 50 people - including AAP MP Sanjay Singh and minister Gopal Rai - who were protesting near the CBI office where Sisodia was being questioned.
“The arrest of Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia is disappointing and disheartening. This is yet another brazen attempt to attack and suppress voices of democratically elected state governments which are working hard for people especially the marginalised and their issues," said Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren.
“Manish Sisodia's arrest is utterly reprehensible. Modi government project is weaponising central investigation agencies to target opposition leaders, destabilising elected governments and destroying democracy," tweeted CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury.
“There will soon be an end to PM Modi's dictatorship. He arrested the most popular Education minister (Manish Sisodia) of the country. He is trying to defame Arvind Kejriwal but such acts won't affect his image. It was a cowardly act by the Centre to have Sisodia arrested by the agencies," the AAP MP said.
“Give me ED and CBI, I will arrest Modi, Amit Shah and Adani within two hours. You can do anything when you have the power to misuse probe agencies," Singh added.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) senior leader Polit Bureau member Brinda Karat on Monday slammed the Centre for arresting Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in the Delhi excise policy scam case and said that the government is misusing the agencies as a 'Trishul' to target Opposition-ruled states and leaders.
Speaking to ANI, Brinda Karat said, "We strongly condemn Manish Sisodia's arrest. If the BJP can't defeat politically on the basis of votes, then CBI, ED and IT are used as a Trishul to target the Opposition leaders or where the opposition government is running."
“In the name of skill training, scams were done. The central agencies do not work on someone’s saying, if they would have worked on BJP’s saying then they (AAP leaders) would've been arrested before elections but CBI arrested him after finding the evidences," Union Minister Meenakshi Lekhi said.
“Don't use Bhagat Singh's name to hide your sins. They (AAP) definitely formed the govt in the name of honesty, but these people have proved to be most dishonest. Children of Delhi have suffered because of this govt and earlier govts," she added.
Aam Aadmi Party leaders and workers on Monday held protests in several states against the arrest of Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in connection with alleged corruption in the now-scrapped excise policy relating to the sale of alcohol.
Amid tight security, protests are being staged in Chandigarh, Delhi, Bhopal and other cities.
Security on Monday morning was beefed up around the BJP headquarters here where the AAP has called for a “big protest".
In Punjab, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers are raising slogans against Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia's arrest, “BJP haye haye".
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday claimed that most of the CBI officers were opposed to arresting his deputy Manish Sisodia but did so due to “political pressure".
The CBI on Sunday arrested Sisodia in connection with alleged corruption in the now-scrapped excise policy relating to the sale of alcohol.
"I am told that most CBI officers were against Manish's arrest. All of them have huge respect for him and there is no evidence against him. But the political pressure to arrest him was so high that they had to obey their political masters," Kejriwal said in a tweet.
AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj today claimed that the party leaders who were detained yesterday have been arrested and will be produced before the court.
"The Centre has broken all limits of democracy. It arrested Manish Sisodia without any proof due to political reasons. You have arrested the entire leadership of our party except for Arvind Kejriwal and some others. Many of the leaders are detained since last afternoon. Under which sections are they detained for so long? The police will produce them before the court because the police have shown their arrest," Bharadwaj told ANI.
'By arresting Manish Sisodia ji, who brought revolutionary changes in the field of education in Delhi, BJP has proved that BJP is not only against education but also against the future of the children of Delhi. The people of Delhi will answer this by defeating the BJP in all the seven seats in the next Lok Sabha elections," the Samajwadi Party chief tweeted.
“I am told that most CBI officers were against Manish’s arrest. All of them have huge respect for him and there is no evidence against him. But the political pressure to arrest him was so high that they had to obey their political masters," Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal tweeted.
“Effective and robust police arrangement is in place on the ground to maintain law and order situation," Dependra Pathak, Special CP (L&O) told media persons on AAP protest outside BJP HQ today.
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia insisted on Sunday that more and more party leaders may find themselves implicated in ‘false’ cases as the AAP grows. And while one cannot confirm the veracity of this claim without the conclusion of several ongoing CBI and ED probes, there are indeed a growing number of AAP lawmakers that have found themselves in official crosshairs recently.
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia was arrested by the CBI on Sunday following a lengthy interrogation. While AAP leaders insist that the senior lawmaker is ‘innocent’ and has been charged in a ‘false’ case, Sisodia had asserted earlier in the day that he does not care if he is "jailed" for a few months. But with top lieutenants Satyendar Jain and Manish Sisodia in custody the Arvind Kejriwal-led government appears to be on somewhat shaky grounds.
"I might have to stay in jail for a few months, but I am not worried about it at all," Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said in a letter to Delhiites before he left for the CBI office for questioning in the Delhi excise policy case on Sunday.
After arresting Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in connection with the alleged Delhi liquor excise policy case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Sunday said that the former was giving evasive replies and not cooperating in the investigation.
The Central Bureau of Investigation arrested Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Sunday evening. According to officials he was nabbed in connection with alleged corruption while implementing the state's excise policy for 2021-22.
Senior AAP leader Gopal Rai said the party will mark the day as a “black day" and will hold protests across the country against the arrest of Sisodia.
Security on Monday morning was beefed up at the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg as the Aam Aadmi Party has called for a protest against the arrest of Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia by the CBI in the excise policy case. A senior police officer said heavy security arrangements have been made on the stretch -- DDU Marg -- in central Delhi where both the BJP and the AAP headquarters are located. Traffic in the central part of the city is also likely to be affected during the day. Senior AAP leader Gopal Rai said the party will mark the day as a “black day" and will hold protests across the country against the arrest of Sisodia.
“In Delhi, we will stage a protest at BJP's national office at 12 noon," he said.
Preeti Sharma Menon who is AAP Mumbai President and National Executive Member has said that the party will march to BJP office today to protest against the wrongful arrest of Manish Sisodia.
“We will march from Churchgate at 1pm. Request all patriots to join this protest. Jai Hind!," she said.
The CBI will produce Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia before the Rouse Avenue Court today, Bar and Bench has reported. Sisodia was arrested yesterday by the CBI after nearly 8 hours of questioning in a case related to Delhi's excise policy.
Congress leader and lawyer Abhishek Singhvi commented on Manish Sisodia's arrest.
AAP will also tage protests at the Bharatiya Janata Party's Headquarters at the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg in the national capital at around 12 pm today
Bharatiya Janata Party national spokesperson Sambit Patra on Sunday hit back at the Aam Aadmi Party for raising objectionable slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi while showing support to Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia.
Addressing a press conference BJP Spokesperson Sambit Patra said, "AAP today used the very unfortunate word 'Mar Ja Modi'. What they are trying to show? Is it to hide your (AAP) corruption?"
The Arvind Kejriwal government is staring at a possible crisis with the CBI arresting Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia who holds as many as 18 of the total 33 departments, including education, finance and home.. The immediate challenge for Kejriwal is to present the Delhi government budget as scheduled and find Manish Sisodia's replacement. The arrest of Sisodia comes after that of Satyendar Jain, Delhi's then health minister, in June last year. Both have led what the Aam Aadmi Party describes as the successful transformation of Delhi's education and health services, contributing to the party's popularity and continued electoral success.
Aam Aadmi Party to hit roads and stage protests across the country today against the arrest of Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia in connection with the alleged Delhi liquor excise policy case. AAP's national General Secretary Sandeep Pathak said that they will protest across the country on Monday.
Taking to Twitter, Pathak on Sunday said, "The great Education Minister Manish Sisodia, who has shaped the future of lakhs of children of the country, has been arrested in a fake case. Against this, the Aam Aadmi Party will protest across the country tomorrow."
The party will also stage protests at the Bharatiya Janata Party's Headquarters at the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg in the national capital at around 12 pm om Monday. It is believed that the party will also hold protests in Gujarat's Gandhinagar, Haryana's Rohtak, Noida, etc. Sisodia was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation after eight hours of questioning in the now-scrapped excise policy case.
BJP MP Manoj Tiwari told news agency ANI that Manish Sisodia was arrested not only because of his role in Liquor scam but also for destruction of evidence. The mastermind of this scam is yet to be held. Law will take its own course & all these people will be punished.
TMC leader in Rajya Sabha Derek O’Brien hit out at BJP for Sisodia's arrest.
In a tweet, he wrote, If Manish Sisodia had got himself a #BJP brand of washing machine, he would never been arrested. Bravo, Manish
Allies ShivSena, SADal, JD(U) TDP & others have all abandoned BJP. Only CBI, ED, IT remain true allies. Targeting Opposition leaders is the DESPERATE DUO’S favorite job.
Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann has said that "Manish Sisodia arrested in a false case."
NMDC stock needs iron ore prices and volume to bBharatiya Janata Party national spokesperson Sambit Patra on Sunday hit back at the Aam Aadmi Party for raising objectionable slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi while showing support to Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia.
Addressing a press conference BJP Spokesperson Sambit Patra said, "AAP today used the very unfortunate word 'Mar Ja Modi'. What they are trying to show? Is it to hide your (AAP) corruption?"
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers on Sunday were heard chanting "Modi Mar Gaya" slogans outside Fatehpur Beri Police Station in support of Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who appeared before the CBI for interrogation before he was arrested in connection with alleged excise policy scam.
