Delhi excise policy scamDelhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia was not afraid of a CBI probe on Sunday, but the agency should also probe an alleged scam in the Bundelkhand Expressway construction, which broke out just five days after the Prime Minister’s inauguration.
In an interview with PTI, Sisodia, who is among the 15 people and entities named in the FIR registered by the CBI in connection with alleged irregularities in the implementation of the excise policy, said his party is not afraid of any probe and said that the scam The allegation by BJP leaders was nothing but “shagufe (lies)”. On Saturday, the Deputy Chief Minister said that he could be arrested in two-four days.
Recently, based on a report submitted by the Chief Secretary of Delhi, Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena had recommended a CBI inquiry into the Excise Policy, 2021-22 of the Kejriwal government, for alleged violation of rules and procedural lapses. Claiming that he was unaware of any reports, Sisodia said, “BJP, CBI, LG and Chief Secretary are all together. They have only one goal – to stop Kejriwal or else he will be out of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Their (BJP) reach.”
Sisodia alleged scams in the construction of Bundelkhand Expressway in Gujarat and that the central probe agency should investigate them. “The CBI should investigate the Rs 10,000 crore scam that happens every year in Gujarat, where prohibition is in force but still people are dying from the consumption of illicit liquor. Bundelkhand Expressway collapsed in five days after PM Modi’s inauguration .
“It has brought disgrace to the country. It involved corruption. You should investigate us and everyone else too. We are not against investigation or investigation,” the deputy chief minister said. Asked about the Delhi Excise Policy and various allegations, he said he would not comment on the specifics of the policy as the matter was being probed. Sisodia, however, said the reasons for changing his stand on the policy at the last minute by former LG Anil Baijal should be probed.
“I will not answer on the specifics of the excise policy. Sometimes they say there has been a scam of Rs 1,000 crore, sometimes there has been a scam of Rs 8,000 crore and sometimes they say that the scam is of Rs 140 crore. Sisodia “The CBI FIR states that there was some money transaction between the two companies which is being investigated. What do I have to do with companies? You can continue the investigation. All political allegations are in the guise of BJP.”
The deputy chief minister, who also heads the excise department, said the probe should not be focused on stopping Kejriwal. “If you are interested in investigating the scam, you should investigate who was behind the conspiracy to change the former LG’s stance on the policy two days before the policy was implemented,” he said.
Earlier this month, Sisodia had accused former LG Anil Baijal of changing his stand on opening liquor shops in unauthorized areas and claimed that it had caused loss of thousands of crores to the city government. The Deputy Chief Minister had said that he had sent the details of the case to the CBI and asked for its investigation.
In a stern statement issued on August 9, Baijal dismissed Sisodia’s allegations as “baseless” and “lies made by a desperate man to save his skin”. The former LG had said that Sisodia was trying to find an excuse for the “acts of commission and omission” committed by him and his associates. Sisodia had claimed on Saturday that he was likely to be arrested by the CBI in a few days. When asked about this, he said, “Even if I am arrested, the good work done by the AAP government in the field of education and health will continue.”
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