Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Monday alleged that he was “offered the CM's post” by the BJP and withdrawal of all cases against him if he quit AAP and joined the saffron party.
Sisodia’s allegations came days after his house was raided by the CBI over accusations of corruption in the implementation of the Delhi excise policy. Sisodia is among 15 people and entities named in an FIR registered by the CBI in connection with alleged irregularities in the implementation of the Delhi excise policy.
Sisodia, who along with Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal is on a two-day visit to Gujarat to reach out to voters ahead of the assembly polls later this year, said he was surprised when someone came to him with a message that he has two offers from the BJP. The messenger said one was that all big cases registered against you by CBI-ED will be taken back. The other offer was that I break the party and they will make me chief minister,” the AAP leader alleged. “I gave a clear answer to them, saying Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal is my political guru and I have learnt politics from him. I have not come into politics to be CM or PM,” Sisodia said.
Asked who made him the alleged offer, Sisodia said, “The persons said that they were entrusted with the task of facilitating leaders like Mukul Roy, Shuvendu Adhikari, Himanta Biswa Sarma and B J Panda to join the BJP.
Meanwhile, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said that Sisodia deserves the Bharat Ratna for improving education standard in Delhi schools, but instead he is being hounded by the Centre due to political motives. “Don't you feel ashamed to make the CBI conduct raids on a man who did wonders in five years, did what existing political parties could not do in 70 years and made government schools the best. Such a man should get the Bharat Ratna,” the Delhi CM remarked while talking to the media in Ahmedabad.
Kejriwal, who is also the AAP convener, also expressed apprehension that Sisodia may be arrested soon. “Manish Sisodia may be arrested; who knows I may also be arrested. All this is being done in view of the Gujarat assembly elections,” he said. Making yet another poll promise, Kejriwal announced that if AAP is voted to power in Gujarat, every person will get free and good quality healthcare and education.
I have nothing to hide: Sisodia
Sisodia asserted on Sunday that the contentious excise policy of Delhi was the best in the country and he stands by it. He added that the Kejriwal model of governance and work won’t stop no matter how many of his ministers are investigated and jailed. “I still stand by the policy. You implement it properly and see the results. The hindrance created by the U-turn taken by the then lieutenant governor caused all the problems in its implementation,” Sisodia said, adding that he welcomed the CBI probe against him but the investigating agency should “fairly probe” his complaint on the issue too.
The deputy CM, who holds the charge of 18 departments, said if the BJP-led central government was really interested in getting complaints of corruption investigated by the CBI, it should also probe his charges against the LG. “Their intention is to stop (CM) Arvind Kejriwal from working and that’s why they are making their people file frivolous complaints and put his health minister and his education minister in jail. My only fault is that I am Kejriwal’s education minister and believe only in working,” Sisodia said.
Talking about the raid at his residence, Sisodia said the CBI team thoroughly searched every room of his house and looked through every bed and almirah, mattress and pillow, sarees and clothes. “See, it is their job. If you send a team, it will search everything. I don’t mind that,” he said.
In retrospect, does he miss his days of social activism? “There is a limit to what you can do as an activist. It reached a saturation point, and after that we could only write books or research papers but wouldn’t have been able to do anything to bring about a change. That’s why we entered politics and have worked for seven years now to test its limits,” he said.
Earlier, the CBI has named as the accused number 1 of the 15 accused in the FIR registered in connection with the alleged irregularities into the now-withdrawn Delhi liquor policy. According to the FIR, the accused have been booked for “criminal conspiracy, falsification of account and undue advantage”, punishable under Section 120-B (punishment of criminal conspiracy) and 477A (falsification of accounts) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 7 (taking undue advantage to influence public servant by corrupt or illegal means or by exercise of personal influence) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
