'2024 polls to see Modi vs Kejriwal': Manish Sisodia slams Centre after CBI raids in liquor scam case

Manish Sisodia on Saturday held a press conference and addressed allegations levelled against him after CBI raided his residence on Friday.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Sisodia while speaking excise policy said it was "best excise policy" and alleged had Delhi Lieutenant governor (LG) Vinai Kumar Saxena not foiled the policy implementation, it would have brought Rs 10,000 crore in revenue every year.

"Excise policy due to which whole controversy is created is the country's best policy. We were applying it with transparency and sincerity. Had Delhi LG not changed his decision conspiring to fail the policy, Delhi government would've been getting at least Rs 10,000 cr every year," he said.

He elaborating about the raids said, "CBI officers came to my residence yesterday. They also raided Education Ministry's Deputy Chief Minister's office. All officers, in both places, were great people. They behaved very nicely. They had to obey orders from high command, but I'd like to thank them to have behaved so nicely."

Sisodia also slammed the Union government for not probing the Gujarat excise scam he also said that he was being targetted because he is Arvind Kejriwal's minister. He also projected Kejriwal as Prime Ministerial candidate and said the raids were a bid to stop him from doing work.

"Till now people were asking Modi vs who, now the country wants Arvind Kejriwal. That's why they want to stop him, but we are not scared," he said.

Manish Sisodia also spoke about the NYT article and said, "America's biggest newspaper The New York Times covered Delhi's education model on its front page yesterday. It's a pride for India. Around 1.5 years ago, another story was published by them showing thousands of bodies being cremated along the Ganga; it was shameful."

CBI raids Manish Sisodia's residence, offices

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted 14-hour-long raids at Sisodia's residence in connection with alleged irregularities in the recently-scrapped liquor policy.

The probe teams were also raiding the houses of former Commissioner Excise E. Gopikrishan, two public servants and others.

Sisodia claimed that he was innocent and the CBI was working at the behest of the Centre.

AAP supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal addressed a digital press conference on Friday after the raids at Deputy CM Manish Sisodia's residence.

Kejriwal solidly backed Sisodia and praised him by saying that he has been announced as world's best Education Minister after he was featured on the front page of New York Times.

BJP reacts to Sisodia's comments

BJP National Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala said, "As suspected Manish Sisodia is deflecting & evading instead of answering specific questions posed to him on Liquor Scam trait of the guilty!"

Published on: Saturday, August 20, 2022, 12:27 PM IST