New Delhi:

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has been summoned by the Central Bureau of Investigation at 11 am tomorrow for questioning in the controversial excise policy case. This is the first time that Mr Sisodia – named as primary accused in the case — has been summoned for questioning. His house was raided by the agency in August after a go-ahead for investigation from Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor. The ruling Aam Aadmi Party — which has linked the excise policy issue to the coming assembly election in Gujarat — has raised alarm, claiming Mr Sisodia will be arrested. 

At a press conference soon after the summons, senior AAP leader Saurabh Bhardwaj claimed, “The BJP is scared”.  

“We all understand that Manish-ji is going to be arrested by the CBI tomorrow. Orders have already been issued in this regard,” he said. Mr Sisodia’s arrest will further strengthen the party in Gujarat as people are watching the “repressive actions” being taken against the party leaders, he added. 

Mr Sisodia tweeted to say that he will offer full cooperation to the investigators. “The CBI raided my house for 14 hours, nothing came out of it. They searched my bank locker, and found nothing. They did not find anything in my village. Now they have called me to CBI Headquarters at 11 am tomorrow. I will go and give my full cooperation,” he tweeted in Hindi. 

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has backed his deputy on Twitter, citing freedom fighter Bhagat Singh and terming the clash a “second fight for freedom”.  “Jail bars and hanging noose could not deter Bhagat Singh’s strong determination. This is the second fight for freedom. Manish and Satyendra (Jain) are today’s Bhagat Singh,” his tweet read. 

Mr Sisodia had earlier dared the CBI to arrest him. At an NDTV townhall last month, Mr Kejriwal issued a similar challenge. “What’s the scam? The CBI has found nothing in raids on Manish. Why don’t they arrest him if there’s a scam? Just because the BJP says there’s corruption, does not mean there is,” the AAP chief had said. 

Two persons have already been arrested in connection with the case — AAP communications chief and Mr Sisodia’s close aide Vijay Nair and Hyderabad-based businessman Abhishek Boinpally. A number of people have been questioned — including Sameer Mahendru, the owner of Indo Spirits, Amit Arora, the Director of Buddy Retail Private Limited in Gurugram, and India Ahead News Managing Director Mootha Gautam, officials have said. 

There are allegations that under AAP’s new excise policy, liquor shop licenses were handed over to private players for benefits to political leaders. In its First Information Report, the CBI has claimed that a liquor trader has paid Rs 1 crore to a company managed by an associate of Mr Sisodia.  

AAP claims there is no scam, and Mr Sisodia, who handles the excise department, has been targeted for political vendetta.  

AAP has accused the Central government — which appoints the Lieutenant Governor — of misusing the CBI as a blowback against its work in the health and education sectors. Lately, they have linked it to the Gujarat elections, where AAP has hugely scaled up its campaign. 

The BJP has accused AAP of using “liquor kickbacks” for its campaign in Goa and Punjab elections.