CBI questions Delhi excise scam accused

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New Delhi, August 20

The battle between the BJP and AAP over the Delhi excise policy took an interesting turn today with embattled Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia declaring that it will be Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal versus Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, a claim mocked and dismissed by leaders of the saffron party.

Meanwhile, the CBI began questioning some of the accused in the Delhi excise policy scam. Officials said the CBI was examining the documents seized during the raids at 31 places, including the residence of Sisodia. Once the process of examining the documents and electronic gadgets as well as the bank transactions was completed, summons would be issued to the other accused as well.

AAP leaders to visit Gujarat

• Kejriwal and Sisodia will visit PM Modi’s home turf on Monday
• They will be in Gujarat for two days and interact with the youth

Sharpening the attack against Sisodia and AAP, Union Minister Anurag Thakur referred to him as “Money Shh” and described Kejriwal as the “kingpin” of the “liquor scam”. Seeking to register the presence of the party in the imbroglio, Congress workers staged a protest, demanding the resignation of Sisodia.

“The excise policy, based on which raids were conducted at my residence, was the best in the country. Had they not got the LG to change his decision just 48 hours before the implementation of the policy, it would have generated a revenue of Rs 10,000 crore every year for the Delhi Government,” said Sisodia.

“Their (BJP’s) issue is not corruption…it is Kejriwal. But no matter how much they try, no matter how many times they conspire, the 2024 elections will be between Modi and Kejriwal,” he said.

“Maybe within the next three-four days, the CBI or the ED will arrest me. But we will not be scared,” Sisodia said, dismissing all charges.

Asking AAP not to try to divert attention from the “scam”, Union Minister Thakur said, “AAP could not even open its account in the Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.” “No matter how hard a corrupt person tries to prove himself innocent, he will still remain corrupt,” Thakur added.