Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal addressed a press conference on Friday, 19 August, as the the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raided the residence of Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia.
The central agency, on Friday, also named Sisodia in an FIR, along with 14 others on the alleged excise scam, officials said, according to news agency PTI.
Referring to The New York Times' positive coverage of the Delhi government's work on education, Kejriwal called Manish Sisodia the world's best education minister and claimed that is the reason he is being targeted.
He also added, "I can’t remember the last time a positive story about India made it to the front page of the NYT."
The raids were met with a diverse range of reactions from across the political spectrum.
AAP leaders noted that the raid came just a day after Sisodia appeared on the front page of The New York Times for his role in transforming government schools in Delhi.
Former Congress leader Kapil Sibal also came out in Sisodia's defence, and said , "Now that Kejriwal is on the rise, time for BJP to destabilise."
The Delhi Pradesh Congress Sevadal tweeted that "proceedings by government agencies on Deputy CM Manish Sisodia are giving evidence of corruption."
BJP leaders echoed a similar line, with Union Minister Anurag Thakur saying, "AAP, Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia's real face has come in front of the public today." BJP Delhi spokesperson Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga even went on to say that just like Satyendar Jain, Sisodia, too, would go to jail.
Kejriwal: ‘Centre Sent CBI After NYT Coverage, They Want Us To Stop Our Work on Education’
The front page of the New York Times on 18 August, featuring Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia.
(Photo: New York Times)
Reacting to the CBI arriving at his Deputy CM Manish Sisodia's residence, Delhi CM and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal remarked, "America's biggest newspaper The New York Times put the Delhi education model on its front page along with a photo of Manish Sisodia, and right after, the Centre sends CBI after him."
He added, "We welcome the CBI, and will cooperate with them fully. There have been such raids on us in the past as well, and nothing was found. This time too, nothing will be found."
Speaking to The Quint, AAP spokesperson Akshay Marathe remarked, "There were many raids on him (Sisodia) in the past too. Many cases have been filed against him and others in the party in the past, but nothing has been found despite their best efforts."
"Modi is insecure and afraid of the work being done in Delhi. Delhi's education and health models are gaining fame all over the world. They want to put an end to it. That's why the action against Delhi's Health and Education Ministers. But we won't let Modi stop the good work being done."AAP spokesperson Akshay Marathe to The Quint
'CBI Will Find Four Pencils....': Raghav Chaddha
Further, taking a dig at the central agency, AAP MP Raghav Chaddha said that the CBI will find "four pencils, some notebooks, and a geometry box" at Sisodia's residence, just like it had recovered "four mufflers" when it had raided Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's house in the past.
"When raids were conducted at Arvind Kejriwal's residence earlier, they found four mufflers," he told a press conference.
"During raids at Manish Sisodia's residence, they will get four pencils, notebooks, and a geometry box," he added.
AAP MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj asked, "This is not the first case of the raid on AAP leaders, but the question is what do these agencies recover? They should tell people if anything was ever recovered anywhere."
Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann wrote, "Manish Sisodia is independent India's best education minister." Commenting on the timing of the raid on Sisodia's residence following the NYT coverage, Mann asked, "How will India progress if this is how things work?"
‘Kejriwal on the Rise, Time for BJP To Destabilise’: Kapil Sibal
Commenting on the developments, veteran Congress leader Kapil Sibal wrote that the CBI and Enforcement Directorate are the long arms of the government, and "Now that Kejriwal is on the rise, time for BJP to destabilise."
'This is Evidence of AAP's Corruption': Delhi Pradesh Congress Sevadal
Striking a different note than the one made by veteran Congress leader Kapil Sibal, the Delhi Pradesh Congress Sevadal said, "AAP is involved in corruption. Delhi Health Minister is already in jail and now proceedings by govt agencies on Deputy CM Manish Sisodia are giving evidence of corruption."
‘Corrupt Person Trying To Prove Himself Innocent’: BJP Leader and Union Minister Anurag Thakur
Reacting to the news, BJP leader and Union Minister Anurag Thakur said, "No matter how hard a corrupt person tries to prove himself innocent, he will still remain corrupt. This is not the first case of corruption by AAP. There has been huge corruption in the liquor stores in Delhi."
Thakur added, "Arvind Kejriwal should stop treating people as fools, and should stop addressing the people of the country. Delhi CM did not even suspend Satyendar Jain when he went to jail. AAP, Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia's real face has come in front of the public today."
BJP Delhi spokesperson Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga tweeted that Satyendar Jain is already in jail and that "Sisodia 2 will go 2 jail."
BJP MP Parvesh Verma asked ANI, "Why did the Delhi government stop its liquor policy if it was right? They stopped this policy when CBI started an enquiry in this matter."
'BJP has two hands, CBI and ED': TMC MP Saugata Ray
Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Ray told ANI, "BJP has two hands, CBI and ED. They did the same in Bengal and Maharashtra. There were raids on Satyendar Jain as well."
Ray added, "This is a tactic to suppress the opposition. Nothing has been found in the raids."
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