Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders on Friday welcomed the acquittal of AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in connection with alleged irregularities in the Delhi Excise Policy 2022 case by the Rouse Avenue Court.
Party leaders hailed the verdict as a victory for truth and honesty, while also criticizing the way the central government handled the case.
Delhi Aam Aadmi Party president Saurabh Bhardwaj said the court’s verdict vindicates honesty in the country, accused the CBI of being under the influence of the government and demanded strict action against officers filing false cases, saying his party, if voted to power, would bring a law to punish such officers.
Taking an indirect dig at the BJP, he said, “Who will be honest in this country? Which officer will be honest? And which leader will be honest? Because you have corrupted everyone. The one who was honest also went to jail. So today a big decision has come, and I think because of this only about 5-10% IAS officers will remain honest.”
He further said, “See, CBI will first go to its master Modi ji. Then whatever Modi ji says, CBI will do. CBI has nothing of its own. CBI is a parrot. Whatever the master says, the parrot will do the same. If the master says not here, go somewhere else, then they will go somewhere else. It depends on the master’s wish. Those investigating officers who send honest people to jail in false cases, hang them at India Gate in front of everyone.” “And if ever our government is formed, we will bring such people a lesson.”
AAP leader Gopal Rai said the court’s verdict proves that efforts by the central government and the BJP to harass AAP leaders and undermine democracy have failed, stressing that truth can be harassed but cannot be defeated.
He said, “The way Arvind Kejriwal ji, Manish Sisodia ji and all the leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party were arrested on charges of fake excise duty scam, the way they were tortured, the way atrocities were committed against them… today from the court’s decision it has become clear that the central government, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Prime Minister himself conspired and tried to kill democracy. They tried to destroy the Aam Aadmi Party. They tried to commit a crime by putting an elected Chief Minister in jail. And it has become clear that truth can be tortured, but it cannot be defeated.”
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said the court’s verdict confirms that the truth has prevailed, citing the acquittal of Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia in the liquor scam case and expressed hope that the truth will emerge in other cases too.
He said, “Truth always wins. The honorable court of Delhi has acquitted AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal ji and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia ji in the liquor scam. With this decision of the honorable court, the truth has come out in front of everyone. With time, the truth will come out in all other cases too.”
This morning itself, Rouse Avenue Court acquitted former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in the Delhi Excise Policy case.
The court found that the alleged central conspiratorial role could not be proven. The court found that the allegations did not stand judicial scrutiny and there was no criminal intent on the part of Manish Sisodia. The court further said that the conspiracy theory cannot stand before a constitutional authority.