India: AAP leaders conduct emergency meeting as CBI grills Kejriwal in excise scam

Two days after being summonded by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday appeared before the central probe agency in the alleged excise policy scam case. Kejriwal is expected to appear as a witness in the case in which former deputy CM Manish Sisodia has already been jailed. With a faction of the party fearing that Kejriwal may also be jailed, some Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders met Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for an emergency meeting.

According to multiple reports seniors leaders such as Gopal Rai, Pankaj Gupta and other congregated at Mann's Kaurthala House in New Delhi to chart a future course of action.

The meeting was necessitated after party leaders includingRaghav Chadha, Sanjay Singh, Atishi, Kailash Gahlot and Saurabh Bharadwaj were rounded up for protesting in front of the CBI office and detained to Najafgarh police station.

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"More than 1500 people protesting in support of Arvind Kejriwal have been arrested by the police. Out of which 1379 people have been kept in different police stations and others are being rotated in buses," said AAP's Gopal Rai.

Kejriwal released a video message, prior to heading to the CBI office where he insinuated that CBI officers might dispatch him to jail.

“They (CBI) have called me today and I will definitely go. They are very powerful, they can send anyone to jail," said Kejriwal.

WATCH |Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia arrested after 8-hour grilling

Meanwhile, senior AAP leader Atishi said the entire country was standing with Kejriwal as CBI continued to houndhim.

"Arvind Kejriwal has been called for questioning by CBI. They say that it is a scam of thousands of crores but till now they have not been able to prove that even a single rupee was embezzled. The entire country is with Arvind Kejriwal," she said.

What is the excise policy scam?

The AAP government brought in the excise policy to revolutionise the sale of liquor in Delhi by bringing in more private players. The rationale given was that the new policy will help generate optimum revenue while eradicating bootlegging and sale of spurious liquor.

Read more: India: Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia arrested by CBI in liquor policy graft case

However, corruption in the distribution of permits, bribery and fraud in the funneling of tender amounts meant that the initiative collapsed within a year.

It has been alleged that AAP leaders formulated the policy at the peak of pandemic to create illegal channels of funding.

(With inputs from agencies)

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