Delhi News Live Updates: Arvind Kejriwal calls meeting of AAP MLAs, MCD councillors

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has called a meeting of AAP MLAs and MCD councillors on Wednesday to discuss the party's strategies in the light of recent developments, sources said. The meeting will be held at the chief minister's residence, a day after ministers Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain, both arrested on corruption charges, resigned from the Cabinet. (PTI)

The Congress said Sisodia has been arrested in an "open and shut case of corruption" and that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal should also be arrested for his alleged involvement in the excise policy case.

Stepping up its offensive against the Aam Aadmi Party(AAP) after the resignations of Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and ministerial colleague Satyendar Jain, the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) also termed the Delhi excise scam case as a "fixed text book case of corruption".

Though the government is yet to announce the names of new ministers, sources said AAP chief spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj, who is a three time MLA and currently holding the post of vice chairman of Delhi Jal Board, Kalkaji MLA Atishi, who has worked closely with Manish Sisodia, would join the Delhi cabinet.

Sisodia was called for questioning only twice, which he had attended in connection with an FIR registered in August last year. Per se, the arrest would be illegal as the charge against him is punishable with less than seven years' imprisonment, mandating the CBI to give notice for arrest under Section 41A of Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). It was not given.

He is not a flight risk, as he holds 18 portfolios in Delhi government. There was no interference by him in the investigation. The excise policy was decided after the files travelled through seven levels, including concurrence of the [Delhi] lieutenant governor. So, he cannot be the decision-making authority.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed his petition seeking either quashing of the FIR in the liquor policy case or grant of bail, and said he must move the trial court or Delhi high court seeking the twin reliefs.

Timarpur MLA Dilip Pandey said Sisodia, who was the "world's most popular education minister", and Jain, who gave the concept of mohalla clinics, had become victims of BJP's politics of arrogance.

Though the government is yet to announce the names of new ministers, sources said AAP chief spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj, who is a three-time MLA and currently holding the post of vice chairman of Delhi Jal Board, Kalkaji MLA Atishi, who has worked closely with Manish Sisodia, Timarpur MLA Dilip Pandey and Burari MLA Sanjeev Jha are among the front-runners.

In a three-page letter in Hindi, Manish Sisodia said people were feeling threatened with Kejriwal’s honest politics and vision.

“All these allegations levelled against me are fake and nothing more than a conspiracy hatched by cowards who are afraid of Arvind Kejriwal’s politics of truth. I am not their target, but you (Kejriwal) are,” Sisodia said.

“This is because not just the people of Delhi, the whole country sees you (Kejriwal) as a leader who has a vision for India and the ability to bring a change in the lives of the people by implementing it. ”

Arvind Kejriwal has become a beacon of hope for people who are faced with a financial crunch, poverty, unemployment, price rise and corruption. Your words are not viewed as hollow promises (jumlas), said Sisodia.

Two days after his arrest in an alleged excise policy scam, Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia on Tuesday resigned from the council of ministers. Former health minister Satyendar Jain, who was arrested in May last year in an alleged money laundering case, also submitted his resignation to CM Arvind Kejriwal, bringing the strength of the Delhi cabinet to five.

Though thegovernment is yet to announce the names of newministers, sources said AAPchief spokesperson SaurabhBharadwaj, who is a threetime MLA and currentlyholding the post of vice chairman of Delhi Jal Board,Kalkaji MLA Atishi, who hasworked closely with ManishSisodia, Timarpur MLADilip Pandey and Burari MLASanjeev Jha are among thefront-runners. Following Satyendar Jain’sarrest in May last year, insteadof replacing him with a newface in the council of ministers, Kejriwal had handed overhis seven departments, including health, home and industries, to his deputy and close confidant Sisodia, who was alreadyhandling 11 portfolios. Sisodia was till now handling 18 of the 33 departments, including finance, planning, education, health, power tourism and public works.

The Patparganj MLA said many FIRs had been registered against him in the past and many more would follow, but after his arrest, he wished to stay away till the charges were proven wrong. In an emotional note of gratitude to Kejriwal, Sisodia said that being a minister in Delhi government under his leadership and working for the people of Delhi was a matter of “great fortune and pride”.

Claiming that the charges of corruption levelled against him were “fake” and a “conspiracy of cowards”, Manish Sisodia said in his resignation letter on Tuesday that chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, not him, was the “real target”.