‘All CBI officers were…’: Manish Sisodia on 'behaviour' after raid at his house

Rejecting the allegation of irregularities in the Delhi excise policy, Manish Sisodia said it was implemented with complete transparency.

Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Saturday thanked the CBI officials for not causing any inconvenience to his family during their raid at his residence on Friday in connection with alleged corruption in the implementation of the Delhi Excise Policy.

Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia during press conference in New Delhi on Saturday.  (Arvind Yadav/ HT photo)

“CBI officers came to my residence yesterday. They also raided the education ministry's office. All officers, in both places, were great people. They behaved with my family very nicely. They had to obey orders from high command, but I would like to thank them to have behaved so nicely,” Sisodia at a press conference.

Rejecting the allegation of irregularities in the Delhi excise policy, Sisodia said it was implemented with complete transparency.

“These people are not concerned about the scam. Their worry is Arvind Kejriwal, who is loved by masses and has emerged as a national option,” Sisodia said.

The Delhi education minister also alleged that the BJP wants to stop Kejriwal whose work on education and health is being talked about in the world, citing the example of The New York Times report which praised Delhi's education system.

On Friday, the CBI raided the home of Sisodia and 30 other locations. While the AAP condemned the raids with Kejriwal claiming the agency has been "asked from above" to harass its leaders, the BJP asked the Delhi government to come out clean on its excise policy.

The 15-hour-long searches at Sisodia's house, the residence of IAS officer and former excise commissioner Arava Gopi Krishna and 29 other places took place after the CBI registered an FIR for alleged corruption and bribery formulation and execution of the Delhi Excise Policy brought out last November.

Speaking to reporters after the raid, Sisodia said, "The CBI team reached in the morning and searched the whole house. My family and myself extended them full cooperation. They seized my computer and mobile phone. They also took away some files."

He alleged that the Centre was misusing the agency to stop the Arvind Kejriwal government from "doing good work" in Delhi.

Union minister Anurag Thakur hit out at Delhi's ruling party. Dubbing Sisodia an "excuse minister", Thakur said the issue is not about education but the excise policy.

"Today, the issue is of liquor licences and corruption involved in it. The minister concerned is Manish Sisodia. He reversed the excise policy the day the probe was handed over to the CBI. Why was this step taken, because there was corruption in the issuance of liquor licences," Thakur said.

(With inputs from agencies)