Last Update: February 18, 2023, 19:11 IST
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. (Representational Image: PTI/File)
The Excise Policy 2021-22 was withdrawn by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government last year after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) recommended a probe by Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) VK Saxena for “violation of norms and lapses”.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has insisted that there was no “liquor scam” in Delhi and that the case over his government’s excise policy was created as a result of “political vendetta and conspiracy” ahead of the questioning of his deputy Manish Sisodia by the CBI on Sunday. Was. ,
Reacting to Kejriwal’s statement, Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva wondered why the AAP government scrapped the excise policy when there was no scam in it.
The Excise Policy 2021-22 was withdrawn by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government last year for “violation of norms and lapses” after Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor (LG) VK Saxena recommended a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe.
Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, Kejriwal said his government would fully cooperate with the CBI probe into alleged irregularities in the implementation of the now-cancelled Excise Policy 2021-22.
“First of all, there is no such thing as a liquor scam. When asked about the CBI summoning Sisodia, he said, “We formulated the best and most transparent policy in the country.”
The Chief Minister said that by implementing this policy in Punjab, the revenue has increased by 48 percent.
“In Delhi, they have framed the matter as a result of political vendetta and conspiracy. Manish will go there and we will cooperate fully. In the end, truth will prevail,” he said.
In another press conference, Sachdeva questioned Kejriwal, asking why a court had denied bail to an accused in the case on four separate occasions and whether Sisodia had any links with other accused.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader also wondered why the deputy chief minister keeps changing his mobile phone time and again.
Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri alleged that an amount of Rs 6,000 crore was involved in the liquor “scam” and asserted that the truth would emerge after a CBI probe.
BJP MP Parvesh Verma said the AAP government’s “liquor scam” has been “exposed” to the public and Kejriwal is now defending Sisodia.
Nearly three months after filing the charge sheet, the CBI has called Sisodia for questioning in the excise policy matter.
Officials said Sisodia has not been named as an accused in the charge sheet as the investigation against him and other suspects is still underway. The deputy chief minister, who also held the charge of the excise department, was first questioned by the federal agency on October 17 last year and his house as well as bank lockers were searched in connection with the case.
In a tweet in Hindi, Sisodia said nothing objectionable was found against him during the search and he would continue to cooperate with the probe.
“CBI has called me again yesterday. They used full power of CBI, ED against me, raided my house, searched bank lockers, but found nothing against me.”
Pointing to the BJP-led Centre, the deputy chief minister said the CBI is after him because “they” want to stop his “good work” in the field of education for Delhi’s children. Officials said the CBI is now focusing on the alleged influence of the “southern lobby” of businessmen and politicians on the formulation and implementation of liquor policy using middlemen, liquor traders and public servants.
It has been alleged that the Delhi government’s policy of granting licenses to liquor traders favors some dealers who allegedly paid kickbacks to them, a charge strongly denied by the AAP.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)