'Proud That Sisodia’s Work Hailed in US' Biggest Paper': Amid CBI Raids, What Delhi CM Kejriwal Said

Just hours after the Central Bureau of investigation (CBI) showed up at Manish Sisodia’s home, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal put up a strong defense against the Deputy Chief Minister and his party dubbing the raids politically motivated. “This isn’t the first time Manish Sisodia has been raided. There were several raids against him and other AAP leaders in the past including me, but agencies found nothing so far,” Kejriwal said in a press briefing.

“CBI is doing its work, there is no need to be scared. We should let CBI do its work, they have an order from the top to hassle us. Obstacles will come but it won’t stop us from working,” the Delhi Chief Minister said hailing his deputy’s work as the Education Minister of the state.

Kejriwal attributed the raids to the aftermath of a front page article in the New York Times that hailed the public school model in Delhi. “Today Manish Sisodia was declared the best Education Minister in the world, but a CBI team reached his residence to conduct a raid. This proves that there will be a lot of obstacles. It wasn?t easy to appear on the front page of the New York Times for bringing about an Education Revolution in Delhi. I am proud of Sisodia because his work helped us get on the front page of the biggest newspaper in the United States,” Kejriwal said.

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The Chief Minister also attacked the centre and alleged that it is hampering the work of state governments that are performing well. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal also launched a campaign urging people to join what he termed the ‘mission to make India the best country’. “I am issuing a number today, a missed call number which is – 95100 01000. Those who want to join this mission, those who want to see India as the number one nation in the world, the most powerful nation, the best nation should join this mission and give a missed call to the number,” Kejriwal said.

The CBI raids snowballed into a full blown political faceoff in the national capital with the AAP and the BJP trading allegations against each other. While the AAP maintains that the raids are linked to the Delhi education model being appreciated on the front page of America’s biggest newspaper, the BJP claims that “blacklisted companies were given licenses under AAP government’s new excise policy, which he accused benefited the liquor mafia.”

The raids come after Delhi Lt Governor V K Saxena last month recommended a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in implementation of the Excise Policy 2021-22. He had also suspended 11 excise officials in the matter. Sisodia had also demanded a CBI probe in the alleged irregularities in the policy.

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