Delhi excise policy: Arvind Kejriwal attacks PM Modi, says 'If Manish Sisodia joins BJP today...'
New Delhi, March 1: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the arrests of AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain and said "if Manish Sisodia joined the BJP today, he would be released tomorrow".
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said, "Two people who brought laurels to India have been jailed by PM Modi. The Delhi excise policy was just an excuse, there was no scam. PM Narendra Modi wanted to stop good work in Delhi. Manish Sisodia was arrested as he did good work in education. Satyendar Jain was arrested as he did good work in health."
"If Manish Sisodia joins the BJP today, won't he be released tomorrow? All cases will be withdrawn. If Satyendar Jain joins BJP today, all cases will be withdrawn and he'd be released from jail tomorrow. The issue isn't corruption, but stopping work and sending CBI-ED after the opposition," he added.
In a major rejig in the Delhi Cabinet necessitated by the resignations of Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal sent the names of AAP MLAs Saurabh Bhardwaj and Atishi to Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena to be elevated as ministers, sources said on Wednesday.
The development comes after Sisodia, who headed 18 departments, and Jain, who has been in jail for months in a money laundering case, stepped down as ministers.
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However, the departments held by Sisodia will be redistributed to senior AAP leaders Kailash Gahlot and Raaj Kumar Anand.
"Sisodia held 18 departments, some of which will now be handled by Kailash Gahlot and the rest by Raaj Kumar Anand," sources said on Tuesday.
Manish Sisodia was arrested on Sunday in an ongoing investigation of a case related to alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of the new excise policy of the Delhi government. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court refused to entertain Sisodia's plea challenging his arrest in the excise policy case.
The CBI had also quizzed AAP leader Jain in Tihar Jail in connection with alleged corruption in the implementation of the now-junked Delhi excise policy. Jain is currently lodged in judicial custody in connection with a money laundering case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
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Recently, the CBI and ED made several arrests for alleged corruption in the implementation of the Delhi excise policy.
- ANI
