Manish Sisodia named in Delhi L-G's call for CBI probe into AAP govt's excise policy, Kejriwal says 'not afraid of jail'

Delhi LG Vinai Kumar Saxena has recommended a CBI probe into AAP government’s Excise Policy, 2021-22, over alleged violations of rules and procedural lapses. Minister In-charge of the Excise Department, Manish Sisodia, was involved in corruption and worked to benefit liquor barons causing massive losses to the exchequer. 

Lashing out at LG, Delhi CM and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal termed the LG's charges against Manish Sisodia "totally false". He said Sisodia worked very hard to strenghten the education system which was popular with the people which is why the Centre is trying to stop them. 

"The new rule in India seems to be that first it is decided who has to be jailed and then that person is tagetted relentlessly with all sorts of fabricated findings and lies," Kejriwal said.

Calling BJP leaders "children of Savarkar", he said his party leaders were the children of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh who refused to bow down before the British and chose to be hung to death instead. "We are not afraid of going to jail," he said.

The CBI inquiry was recommended on Delhi Chief Secretary's report filed earlier this month, showing prima facie violations of GNCTD Act 1991, Transaction of Business Rules (ToBR)-1993, Delhi Excise Act-2009 and Delhi Excise Rules-2010, officials said.

"Minister In-charge of the Excise Department, Manish Sisodia took and got executed, major decisions/actions in violation of the statutory provisions and the notified Excise Policy that had huge financial implications," Saxena's statement said.

Apart from this there were also "deliberate and gross procedural lapses" to provide post tender "undue benefits to liquor licensees", said the officials.

Aam Aadmi Party MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj alleged that the L-G was working at the behest of the Centre. 

“Earlier too the Centre tried to stop Delhi government’s decisions and work through the L-G. At that time they had investigated 400 files but didn’t find anything. The present L-G has directed a CBI inquiry on the directions of the central government to implicate Manish Sisodia in a false case," Bhardwaj said.

The new Excise policy 2021-22 was implemented from November 17 last year under which retail licences were given to private bidders for 849 vends across the city divided into 32 zones.

Many liquor stores failed to open for being located in non-confirming areas of the city. Several such vends were sealed by the municipal corporations, they said.

The BJP and Congress had vociferously opposed the policy and lodged complaint with the LG as well as central agencies for a probe into it.