New Delhi: With two of his trusted ministers imprisoned by central probe agencies, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal lashed out at the Prime Minister on Wednesday, saying that Narendra Modi wanted the “good work” in Delhi to stop.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Sunday evening for alleged financial irregularities in the now-scrapped excise policy of 2021-22 – since he was also the state’s finance minister. Sisodia’s work in the education sector, however, has gained international acclaim.
In May last year, the Enforcement Directorate arrested former health minister Satyender Jain in a money-laundering case, based on a CBI FIR lodged in 2017 under the Prevention of Corruption Act. His portfolio was being handled by Sisodia since the arrest.
But both ministers resigned Tuesday, facing a barrage of criticism from the BJP and other parties, on why they should continue in the Delhi cabinet.
A day later on Wednesday, after an emergency meeting of party MLAs and counsellors, Kejriwal said: “Two people who brought laurels to India have been jailed by the PM. The excise policy is just an excuse… There was no scam. The PM wanted to stop the 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.”
He then said if Sisodia joined the BJP today, he would be released tomorrow. “Then all cases will be withdrawn. If Satyendar Jain joins BJP today, all cases will be withdrawn against him too and he would be released from jail tomorrow. The issue is not corruption, but how to stop the work and send the CBI and ED after the Opposition,” Kejriwal added.
The Delhi chief minister also said that AAP leaders would go door-to-door, to every house and speak to each and every person in Delhi. “We will explain to them how the Prime Minister is going to extremes like Indira Gandhi had once done. The people will give an answer. They are watching everything and they are angry,” he said.
Earlier Wednesday, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader recommended the names of AAP MLAs Saurabh Bharadwaj and Atishi to be inducted into his cabinet – which the Delhi Lieutenant Governor accepted.
Also read: Don’t give clean chit to Sisodia but see the timing. A national scandal is being covered