Delhi’s former deputy chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia on Saturday came out in support of chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and called him “a symbol of honesty”.
While addressing his first rally after coming out of jail, followed by the Supreme Court of India’s decision in Delhi liquor scam case, Sisodia said, “Arvind Kejriwal symbol of honesty, conspiracies being hatched to defame his work.”
“I was hoping to get justice in 7-8 months but it took 17 months; truth triumphed in the end,” he added.
Targeting the BJP, he also said these people are not more powerful than the Constitution. Every person has to fight against this “dictatorship” which is not just putting leaders in jail but also harassing citizens, Sisodia said while addressing AAP workers at its headquarters.
He claimed that while in jail, he was not worried about getting bail but was pained seeing businessmen being put in prison in “fake cases just because they did not donate money to the BJP”.
Sisodia told AAP workers that “we are just horses of a chariot but our real ‘saarthi’ (charioteer) is in jail, he will come out soon”.
On his bail verdict, Sisodia said the Supreme Court used the power of the Constitution to “trample dictatorship” yesterday.
Sisodia on Vinesh Phogat
Seeking to target the BJP over the Vinesh Phogat issue, Sisodia, without taking the wrestler’s name, said she protested against its leader and people saw what happened at the Olympics.
Phogat, who was disqualified from the Paris Olympics for being found 100 grams overweight ahead of her women’s 50kg final, was at the forefront of a lengthy protest alleging government inaction against former Wrestling Federation of India head Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who was accused of sexual harassment by women wrestlers.
Manish Sisodia granted bail
Senior AAP leader Sisodia was released from Tihar Jail on Friday after spending 17 months in custody. Sisodia, who was granted bail earlier in the day by the Supreme Court, credited his release to the power of the Constitution and democracy, expressing hope that the same would secure the release of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is also incarcerated in connection with the same case.
The Supreme Court granted Sisodia bail in the corruption and money laundering cases linked to the Delhi excise policy “scam” case, citing his prolonged incarceration without trial as a violation of his right to a speedy trial. As he walked out of the jail, wearing a maroon shirt, Sisodia was greeted by AAP workers and leaders who showered him with rose petals.
Addressing the media and supporters outside the jail, Sisodia thanked the Supreme Court for upholding the Constitution and delivering justice. “We have brought this legal battle to its logical end through the Constitution. I thank you all for being with me,” he said. He also expressed gratitude to his supporters, noting that their numbers had grown during his time in jail.
Sisodia paid tribute to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, acknowledging his lifelong debt to the architect of the Indian Constitution. “My whole life is indebted to Ambedkar,” he stated, emphasizing the emotional significance of the moment for him and his supporters. He also expressed confidence that the Constitution and democracy would ensure the release of Kejriwal, leading the crowd in a slogan, “Bhrasthachaar ka ek hi kaal, Kejriwal, Kejriwal” (The only end to corruption is Kejriwal).
Sisodia was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on February 26, 2023, for alleged irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy for 2021-22. He was later arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 9, 2023, in connection with the money laundering case related to the same CBI FIR. He resigned from his position in the Delhi cabinet on February 28, 2023.
During his bail plea, Sisodia argued that he had been in custody for 17 months and the trial against him had not yet begun. Despite opposition from the ED and CBI, the Supreme Court granted him bail, marking a significant development in the ongoing legal battle surrounding the Delhi excise policy case.
