AAP National Convenor and Delhi CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal strongly slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday. He said that the BJP had been fabricating the ‘Delhi Liquor Scam’ allegations against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). He asserted that the BJP is controlling the Central Government’s Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to implicate him and his party in false cases. According to the Delhi CM, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) fabricated the entire liquor scam plot and then instructed the ED-CBI to make up false evidence against the AAP. He said that BJP is threatened by the honesty of AAP, and that’s why they are resorting to such tactics.
He also referred to how during a recent hearing in court, five witnesses testified that they were physically tortured, mentally harassed, and forced to write false statements. He also pointed out that questions are being raised on the integrity and honesty of Prime Minister Modi. Shri Arvind Kejriwal alleged that the PM is unable to tolerate AAP’s honesty. He further added that the ED-CBI has given a certificate of honesty to the AAP, which is proof of their innocence.
Shri Arvind Kejriwal made it clear that the allegations against the AAP in the ‘Delhi Liquor Scam’ are nothing but a political conspiracy by the BJP to defame him and his party. He further urged the judiciary to take appropriate action against those who are using the ED-CBI for their political interests. The CM also cited the recent submission by the ED-CBI in court that the allegations of the AAP spending 100 crore rupees in cash in the Goa elections were false. Instead, they had spent only 19 lacs, which is much less than the amount being falsely alleged by the BJP.
Shri Arvind Kejriwal dismissed the allegations of any liquor scam during a press conference on Monday. He declared that the accusations were entirely false, and the party has always maintained its integrity. The Aam Aadmi Party is known for its commitment to honesty, and its leadership has earned the trust of the entire country, he said. According to the CM, the conspiracy to malign the party’s image and betray the people’s trust was carried out under the guise of the ‘Delhi Liquor Scam.’ However, he reiterated that there was no such scandal in Delhi, and the party remained steadfast in its honesty and transparency.
Shri Arvind Kejriwal said that the BJP had alleged in the so-called Delhi liquor scam that the South Lobby paid a bribe of Rs 100 crore to the people of the Aam Aadmi Party but it has failed to prove it. The CBI-ED have also accepted in the court that out of 100 crores, they do not have any evidence of this scam. The CBI-ED had alleged that a person named Rajesh Joshi translocated Rs 30 crore from the South Lobby and handed over Rs 30 crore to the AAP leadership in Delhi. The only “proof” they have is that someone had stated to them that Rajesh Joshi gave Rs 30 crore to AAP.
He said that in the 6th May order of Rouse Avenue Court, it is written that there is not a single evidence against Rajesh Joshi to prove that he came to Delhi with a single paisa from the South Lobby. “When Rajesh Joshi did not bring a single penny, the South Lobby did not give any money and the leadership of the Aam Aadmi Party did not get the money, then the whole case should be closed. Bribe was neither taken nor given, so what remains of the case?,” the CM added. Notably, Rajesh Joshi has got bail on the basis that there is no corroborative evidence against him.
Shri Arvind Kejriwal also dismissed the allegations that the Aam Aadmi Party had spent Rs 100 crore in bribes during the Goa elections. He said that the CBI-ED reportedly raided vendors associated with the party and arrested them, but investigations concluded that only Rs 19 lakh was spent in cash during the elections. He stated that this was a testament to the party’s integrity, as no party in the country spends such a small amount during a state election. He added that the ED and CBI found no evidence of bribery in Goa, and thus it is clear that no bribe was either given or taken.
The CM went on to assert that the liquor scam allegations were a fabrication created by the Prime Minister’s office and presented to the CBI-ED as part of a conspiracy. He criticised the ED for lying about Shri Manish Sisodia’s phone records, informing that of the 14 phones in question, 5 were present with CBI-ED, while the rest were working. He said that the ED should be prosecuted for misleading the court and preventing Shri Manish Sisodia from obtaining bail.
He stated that the ED falsely included the name of MP Shri Sanjay Singh in the charge sheet, and later tried to cover it up by saying it was a mistake. He questioned why the names of BJP leaders Anurag Thakur and Sambit Patra did not appear by mistake, but Shri Sanjay Singh’s name did. He reiterated that the Prime Minister’s Office had asked the ED to include the AAP MP’s name. He added the ED, which is known for intimidating leaders by issuing notices across the country, was intimidated when Shri Sanjay Singh issued a notice in response to it. This is why the ED went to court and admitted that it had no evidence against Shri Sanjay Singh, he said.
Shri Arvind Kejriwal further pointed out that the ED had mentally tortured witnesses into giving false statements and had even physically assaulted one person, causing his eardrum to burst. He questioned the legitimacy of such an investigation, while explaining that the recent court order had made it clear that no bribe had been taken or given. The liquor scam allegations are a political conspiracy to tarnish the image of the Aam Aadmi Party, he said. He also cited an interview of former governor Shri Satyapal Malik during the press conference. “Shri Satyapal Malik had said in that interview the BJP would arrest CM Arvind Kejriwal before the next election.” Upon this, the CM challenged the BJP to do so, saying that he is just a small figure compared to the larger issues of the nation at hand.
Shri Arvind Kejriwal stated that today, many questions have arisen regarding the honesty of Prime Minister Modi, as he is being accused of many scams. “This is the reason why the BJP is unable to tolerate AAP. When people in the country talk about honesty, they refer to Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party. The BJP continuously tries to defame us by hurling baseless accusations, and even threatens to arrest me. The fact that the BJP claims that Kejriwal is next in line to be targeted by ED-CBI indicates that they are controlling these agencies. It is unclear whether the CBI is following orders from the BJP, or if the BJP is acting on information from the CBI, but it is evident that the BJP is instructing the CBI to go after Arvind Kejriwal,” he said.
