Congress welcomes Sisodia' arrest, says Kejriwal should be held too

The Congress on Tuesday said Aam Aadmi Party leader Manish 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.

The two leaders are "deeply involved in corruption" and should be dealt with accordingly, Congress leader Ajay Maken said.

Sisodia was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation on Sunday in connection with alleged corruption in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy for 2021-22.

"This is an open and shut case of corruption and a big scam has taken place in Delhi, and it should be viewed accordingly," Maken said.

He said Kejriwal should also be arrested in the case.

"It has now been established in one of the charge sheets and one of the accused liquor barons has said he was made to speak to Kejriwal on Facetime," he added.

The Kejriwal government had set up a committee to recommend changes in the excise policy but just the opposite of what the panel recommended was done "so that corruption could be done", Maken charged.

The Congress leader claimed Sisodia and Kejriwal are "deeply involved in corruption" and asserted that they should be dealt with accordingly.

"Those who are sympathising with Manish Sisodia should know that this is a matter of corruption and it should be viewed accordingly," Maken told PTI.

The AAP, which is projecting the action against Sisodia as "injustice", should answer as to why changes were made against the recommendations of the committee, he said.

Maken further said, "I would also like to ask the central government not to misuse central agencies even in a genuine case like this and make it seem like political vendetta. They should use them sparingly."

Some Congress leaders including Abhishek Singhvi and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot have spoken in support of Sisodia and accused the government of misusing agencies against opposition leaders.

Singhvi, who is also Sisodia's lawyer in court, later clarified that his remarks did not represent the Congress' stand.