BJP offered me Delhi CM's post to split AAP, claims Manish Sisodia

New Delhi, August 22

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia today alleged he was approached by the BJP with an offer to close all cases against him, if he joined the saffron party. In a tweet, he claimed the BJP offered him the Delhi Chief Minister’s post in lieu of splitting the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and switching over, something it had done with the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal claimed the CBI action against Sisodia was part of the “Operation Lotus” which failed in Delhi. Party sources claimed Sisodia had recordings of the BJP’s offer to him to bring down the AAP government.

The allegations evoked sharp reactions from the BJP, with party spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia saying AAP leaders were trying to deflect attention from the corruption charges.

“A lottery system was to be adopted for awarding contract in retail vending. The city was divided into 32 zones. The lottery system wasn’t followed and zones were awarded to select industrialists,” Bhatia claimed.

The CBI, meanwhile, questioned Sameer Mahendru, MD of Indospirit, one of the accused named in the first-information report (FIR) over the alleged Delhi excise policy scam.

Mahendru is under the scanner for two alleged payments to “close associates” of Sisodia — Amit Arora, Director, Buddy Retail Gurgaon; Dinesh Arora and Arjun Pandey.

As per the FIR, Sisodia’s aides were “actively involved in managing and diverting undue pecuniary advantage collected from liquor licensees” to accused public servants.

CBI grills accused in excise policy ‘scam’

• The CBI questioned Sameer Mahendru, MD of Indospirit, an accused in Delhi excise policy ‘scam’
• He is under the scanner for two alleged payments to ‘close aides’ of Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia