Manish Sisodia likely to be arrested next: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal

Kejriwal had on January 23 in a similar press conference announced “on the basis of sources” that “the ED will arrest Satyendar Jain in the coming days”

NEW DELHI: A few days after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain in an alleged money laundering case, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said in a press conference on Thursday that central agencies are likely to arrest deputy CM Manish Sisodia next, citing intel he claimed to have received from his ‘sources’.

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal addressing a press conference in New Delhi on Wednesday. (ANI Photo)

Kejriwal had on January 23 in a similar press conference announced “on the basis of sources” that “the ED will arrest Satyendar Jain in the coming days”, ahead of the Punjab assembly elections in February. Incidentally, Jain was arrested by the ED on May 30 after he was summoned by the central agency. The Delhi CM, who is also the national convener of the Aam Aadmi Party, claimed Jain has been arrested in a fake case.

“I have come to know from the same sources that in the next few days the central government is going to arrest Manish Sisodia. Centre has asked all central agencies to prepare a fake case against Sisodia and arrest him,” Kejriwal claimed today.

He described Sisodia, who is also the education minister, as one of the best lawmakers in the sector in India, and credited him with major reforms under the AAP government in Delhi. “Over 18 lakh students study in Delhi government schools and he has given them a new hope,” Kejriwal said, asking students whether Sisodia is corrupt.

The CM alleged that the Centre is trying to derail the good work going on in the education and health sectors of Delhi, and stated that putting them behind bars will be a loss for the country.

He further challenged the central government to put all AAP leaders, including himself, in jail together instead of picking them out one at a time. “I would request the PM to put us all together in jail rather than picking us one by one, and use all central agencies to probe us,” Kejriwal said.

Referring to speculations, Kejriwal indirectly said that the arrests are in revenge over the party’s landslide victory in Punjab, and in the wake of the upcoming Himachal Pradesh assembly polls where AAP is projecting itself as an alternative to the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party.

The BJP is yet to respond to Kejriwal’s claims today.