‘Changed 4 mobile phones in a day’: BJP slams Sisodia on liquor policy scam

BJP claimed Sisodia had played a major role in the scam, although he offered no evidence to support his claims.

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday doubled down on attacks against Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia - a day before the national capital votes in a civic election seen as a straight fight between the ruling Aam Aadmi Party and the BJP.

BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra addressing press conference at party's headquarters in Delhi on Saturday. (ANI)

The BJP's Sambit Patra accused Sisodia - named in the Delhi liquor policy probe - of being 'completely involved' and of having changed his mobile phone four times in a day and 14 times in the months after the Central Bureau of Investigation filed a case agianst him.

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"Manish Sisodia changed four mobile handsets in one day and 14 handsets in two-three months after CBI's FIR against him. He might have consulted (with) Delhi chief minister (Arvind) Kejriwal, AAP leader Vijay Nair, liquor scam accused Amit Arora and Sunny Marwah to destroy digital evidence," Patra said at a a press conference at BJP HQ in Delhi.

Patra also claimed Sisodia had played a major role in the scam, although he offered no evidence to support his claims; "He is not just neck deep but he is completely involved..."

"A few days ago, Arvind Kejriwal said Manish Sisodia has a clean chit... that the scam that had taken place in the excise policy was not a scam because the CBI and ED (Enforcement Directorate) had given (a) clean chit to Manish Sisodia... that there is no chargesheet..."

The BJP leader, however, claimed the accused had destroyed 170 mobile phones in a 'large-scale destruction of digital evidence' and alleged Sisodia consulted people to that end.

"As per the document, an FIR dated August 17, 2022, was registered by CBI against Manish Sisodia. The Office Memo (OM) disclosed that deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, the then excise commissioner Arava Gopi Krishna and others were instrumental in giving orders to people in excise policy benefiting few by giving them an undue advantage," he declared.

Patra presented wha he said was a remand note submitted to a Delhi court by the ED.

As Delhi prepares for civic polls on Sunday , the BJP and AAP have increased their attacks on each other. Sisodia took a swipe at the BJP earlier this week, declaring that the saffron party's 15 years in charge of the city's municipal corporations had turned Delhi into a garbage dump.