Manish Sisodia’s challenge is to be mentioned before Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud for an urgent hearing today.
On Friday, 24th of February, speaking during a conclave of a news channel, Delhi CM and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal made a prediction. Speaking about his deputy who is embroiled in a Delhi liquor policy case, he said that the CBI will soon arrest Manish Sisodia. This arrest will be made on Sunday.
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia may be arrested in 2 to 3 days, says CM Arvind Kejriwal in Gujarat
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 23, 2022
In the ‘Ideas of India Summit 2023’, CM Kejriwal further said that “Raids were conducted at Manish Sisodia’s house, office as well as his native village, but nothing was found”.
Fast forward to Sunday, CBI called Manish Sisodia for questioning, and after almost 8 hours of questioning he was arrested by the Central agency. Kejriwal’s prediction came true.
The Drama Unfolds:
Manish Sisodiaya was called for questioning by the agency. Around 11.15 AM, Sisodia appeared before the CBI, but before that, Pictures of him spending time with his mother on Sunday were shared on social media. He then went to Rajghat and did some show of strength and also told his supporters to care for his family, as he expected to be in Jail for 7-8 months. He reached the CBI office amid a crowd of supporters and party workers. After 8 hours of questioning the CBI said it will arrest him. Following Sisodia’s arrest on Sunday, the investigating agency’s spokesperson said: “The CBI has today arrested the Deputy CM of Delhi in an ongoing investigation of a case related to alleged irregularities in framing and implementation of the excise policy of GNCTD.
The instant case was registered against the Deputy CM and in-charge excise minister, Delhi government, and 14 others for an investigation into the matter of alleged irregularities… and extending post tender benefits to private persons.”
Manish Sisodia’s arrest is the latest jolt to AAP and its Chief Arvind Kejriwal after ED action on AAP Minister Satyendar Jain. But unlike Satyendar Jain’s arrest, Sisodia’s arrest may spell a crisis for the Kejriwal govt in Delhi. Let’s discuss why in this article.
On Monday AAP workers and leaders across the country staged protests against the arrest of Delhi DyCM Manish Sisodia. In some cities, protests took a violent turn with protestors clashing with police officials and breaking down the barricades.
In Mumbai, several AAP workers were detained for at least 25 minutes. The protest comes in the wake of the arrest of Manish Sisodia on Sunday by CBI in the now-scrapped Delhi Liquor policy case.
Delhi Liquor Policy:
Over seven months ago on July 8, Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar submitted a report to the Lieutenant-Governor’s Office, alleging procedural lapses in the implementation of the policy and claiming that post-tender benefits were extended to the licensees. L-G Vinai Kumar Saxena wrote the same month to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs recommending a CBI inquiry.
As the controversy around the new liquor policy – meant to remove government intervention and completely privatize Delhi’s liquor business – gathered momentum, Sisodia on July 30 last year announced that the AAP government would revert to the old excise policy, and only government liquor vends will be allowed to operate.
On August 17, the CBI filed an FIR in the case, and two days later, raided 21 locations in Delhi, including Sisodia’s house.
The first high-profile arrest in the case of Vijay Nair, AAP’s communication in-charge, came on September 28. Subsequently, more arrests were made. The case links have also reached Telangana where Telangana CM KCR’s daughter K Kavitha was also called for questioning.
Why Sisodia’s Arrest Is A Crisis For Arvind Kejriwal Govt?
Speaking on his deputy’s arrest, Arvind Kejriwal claimed that most officers were against Sisodia’s arrest and they have huge respect for him but under the pressure, they had to obey their political masters. While Kejriwal may want to portray this as yet another attack by BJP/Centre on his party/govt, one cannot overlook, that Sisodia’s arrest has brought a governance crisis for him.
Delhi’s DyCM Manish Sisodia holds as many as 18 key departments in Kejriwal Govt. Many of AAP’s popular and flagship schemes fall under these departments from various sectors — education, health, finance, urban development, industries, power, and others — under the Delhi government, the highest by any minister in the Kejriwal Cabinet. He is also in charge of all other departments not specifically allotted to any minister.
Among all, his work in the Education sector which has earned him praise. Kejriwal praises him as the best Education minister in the country. Sisodia was involved in delivering AAP’s key promise of better and improved Delhi govt schools.
Health and Education are the two key sectors where the Kejriwal government’s flagship schemes operate. Since, his arrest, clips of Sisodia interacting with Delhi govt school kids and praising him are being widely shared online.
On Monday CBI was granted 5 days of remand for further questioning.
But it is not only an administrative crisis for Kejriwal, it is political too. As AAP focuses on expanding its footprints in other states, Kejriwal as party chief is planning to tour more states where elections are due including Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh. AAP’s victory in Punjab last year was a big morale booster.
But while Kejriwal was focusing more on increasing the party base in other states, Sisodia had become the administrative or governance face of the party.
He was also supposed to present the budget of the Delhi govt in the budget session starting in March.
With Satyendar Jain gone, Arvind Kejriwal had lost his one trusted lieutenant. With Sisodia, another trusted aide is gone too.
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and AAP leader Manish Sisodia today challenged his arrest by the CBI in the Supreme Court. Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, after hearing Mr. Sisodia’s lawyer Abhishek Singhvi, asked why they did not go to the high court instead before coming to the Supreme Court directly.
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