Who said what on Delhi CBI raid and Kejriwal’s ‘psychopath’ comment

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal triggered a political storm on Tuesday by calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a “psychopath” and “coward” after CBI raids at the Delhi secretariat and targeted finance minister Arun Jaitley over alleged corruption in Delhi’s cricket body under his watch. Here is what political leaders from across parties had to say about the incident:

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal triggered a political storm on Tuesday by calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a “psychopath” and “coward” after CBI raids at the Delhi secretariat and targeted finance minister Arun Jaitley over alleged corruption in Delhi’s cricket body under his watch. Here is what political leaders from across parties had to say about the incident:

Heavy police force at Delhi Secretariat during a CBI raid in New Delhi on Tuesday. (PTI)

AAP

Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi chief minister

(Photo by Sonu Mehta/ Hindustan Times)

“When Modi couldn’t handle me politically, he resorted to this cowardice. Modi is a coward and a psychopath.”

“It has become necessary to reveal why the CBI came to my office and which file it was looking for. This is the DDCA file under which Arun Jaitley is getting trapped.” Read more...

Manish Sisodia, Delhi deputy chief minister

“What does it mean, conducting raid in the Delhi CM’s office, and not the other departments where Rajendra Kumar had served in 2007, the year in which corruption took place according to the CBI?”

“The Centre can threaten other state governments by conducting CBI raids, but let me tell you that the Centre should stop trying to terrorise the Delhi government and its chief minister Kejriwal.”

“If they really had any suspicion over any Delhi government bureaucrat, then they should have informed Kejriwal first and then we would have accordingly cooperated.”

Atishi Marlena, AAP Leader

“This has to be a historic low in Indian politics! Absolutely shameful politics from @PMOIndia.”

Dilip Pandey, AAP Leader

“Today, Modi Govt brought federal structure to its knees. U lost Delhi, U raided Kerla House, U lost Bihar. Carry it on & u will loose al.” Dilip Pandey, Aap Leader

BJP

(PTI)

Arun Jaitley, finance minister

“The CBI raid has nothing to do with Kejriwal or his tenure and that the graft case against the officer also pertains to his past.”

“His (Arvind Kejriwal) morning statement appeared to be prima facie incorrect, but evening one seems to be absolute rubbish. And I don’t think I need to respond to rubbish,”

“Allegations against (secretary of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal) Rajendra Kumar are old. It was even before Arvind Kejriwal became chief minister (that allegations were levelled against him).” Read more...

Ravi Shankar Prasad, BJP spokesperson

“Arvind Kejriwal must apologise for his comments against the prime minister.”

Venkaiah Naidu, parliamentary affairs minister

“It has become fashion for Delhi CM to quarrel with the central government and to take the PM’s name for everything.”

Prakash Javadekar, environment minister

“Does he want to protect the corrupt? Instead of taking action against the corrupt, he is accusing the prime minister. This is absolutely unacceptable.”

CONGRESS

Abhishek Manu Singhvi, congress spokesperson

“Never before have so much been accomplished under cooperative federalism... The methods adopted to insult constitutional functionaries are not correct.”

Sanjay Jha, Congress leader

“The CBI is a captive parrot of Modi Sarkar; caged, cribbed , confined and cabined by the BJP. CBI is Convenient Bureau of Investigation under Modi Sarkar.”

TRINAMOOL CONGRESS

Mamata Banerjee, West Bengal chief minister

“Sealing of a Chief Minister’s office is unprecedented. I am shocked.” Read more...

Derek O’brien, Trinamool leader

“This is not a party issue. The office of a democratically elected CM has been raided by CBI. This is an issue about the country and the federal structure.”

CPI(M)

“The CBI raid on the office of the chief minister of Delhi is highly condemnable and smacks of a politically motivated act. This raid is a new low in the Modi government’s encroachment on the rights and dignity of non BJP elected governments.”