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Senior AAP leader Atishi on Friday celebrated Arvind Kejriwal's discharge in the Delhi excise policy case, attributing it to his honesty "kattar imaandaari."
Speaking to ANI, she launched a fierce counter-attack against the BJP-led central government, alleging conspiracy and misuse of central agencies. "Arvind Kejriwal's 'kattar imaandaari' is before the entire nation today...On one side, it is the BJP's conspiracy, hunger for power and misuse of central agencies; on the other side is Arvind Kejriwal's and AAP's honesty," she said. This comes after the Rouse Avenue Court on February 27 discharged former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, and 21 others in the high-profile Delhi Excise Policy case. The court's decision to refuse to frame charges has been hailed by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as a total vindication of their leadership's integrity. The 600-page order by Special Judge Jitendra Singh delivered a scathing critique of the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) case. The court observed that the alleged "central conspiratorial role" of Kejriwal could not be proven with any material evidence. The judge described the probe as a "premeditated and choreographed exercise" where roles were retrospectively assigned to fit a narrative. The court noted that the allegations "failed judicial scrutiny" and found no criminal intent on the part of Manish Sisodia. An emotional Kejriwal, who broke down in tears after the order, challenged the BJP to fresh elections in Delhi, stating, "If the BJP wins over 10 seats, I will quit politics." Released after 17 months in jail, Sisodia called it a historic day, asserting that the conspiracy to topple their government had been foiled by the judiciary. Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva maintained that the acquittal was due to a lack of evidence rather than innocence, and noted that the CBI has already appealed the discharge in the High Court. The case originated from allegations of corruption in the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 introduced by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government. The CBI had alleged that the policy was framed to benefit certain private liquor licenses by allegedly reducing licence fees and fixing profit margins, resulting in kickbacks and financial loss to the Delhi government. The FIR was registered by the CBI in August 2022 following a complaint by Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena. According to the agency, a criminal conspiracy was allegedly hatched at the stage of policy formulation, with deliberate loopholes introduced to favour select entities after the tender process. (ANI)
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