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Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers, led by party MP Dr Harsh Vardhan, staged a protest outside Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence in the capital on Monday, 22 August, demanding the dismissal of Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, who is being probed by the CBI in connection with the Delhi excise policy case.
Several senior BJP leaders, including the party's Delhi chief Adesh Gupta, were detained by the police amid sloganeering against the AAP, as per reports.
“A man like Manish Sisodia, who is in collusion with the liquor mafia, has no place in the BJP," Gupta said.
Sharing visuals from the protests, Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Legislative Assembly, Ramvir Singh Bhiduri, tweeted, "Delhi state BJP staged a massive demonstration at the chief minister's residence demanding the sacking of Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, who was involved in the liquor scam worth thousands of crores."
The protest also saw effigies of Sisodia and Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain, who was previously arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), being burnt close to the CM’s residence as well.
At a press conference held on Monday, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said, "It has become clear that Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia have no answer to the questions of the people."
"BJP is strongly exposing the corruption and fanatical dishonesty of Aam Aadmi Party," he added.
"We give 24 hours to Arvind Kejriwal to answer questions on charges of corruption in the Delhi excise policy," he stated.
The BJP leader further said:
"Arvind Kejriwal, if you are honest then you answer the question that the public is asking. After 24 hours, a tweet came in reply and the same preposterous response in it too," Bhatia said.
The lottery system wasn't followed by the Kejriwal government and zones were awarded to 'some' industrialists, which is worrisome, he alleged. "The silence of Kejriwal on corruption charges in excise policy proves that he is a hardcore dishonest person ('kattar beiman')," Bhatia alleged.
BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri who was also present asked why Kejriwal was not answering the questions being raised on the excise policy.
The CBI has filed an FIR against 13 people and two companies in connection with the alleged violations of rules and procedural lapses in the implementation of the excise policy.
The CBI had raided the residence of Sisodia, who also holds the excise portfolio in the Kejriwal government, on Saturday.
The CBI also raided around 20 other locations in Delhi-NCR, including the premises of Arava Gopi Krishna. Excise officials, liquor company executives, and dealers, along with unknown public servants and private persons, have also been booked in the case.
The Kejriwal government had withdrawn the excise policy after Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena recommended a CBI probe into its implementation last month. Neither the Kejriwal government nor the AAP has given any reason behind scrapping of the policy.
(With inputs from PTI and ANI.)
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