The BJP on Monday said the Delhi High Court denying bail to AAP leader Manisha Sisodia in the excise policy scam case was a "tight slap" on the Delhi government and dismissal of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's 'kattar imandaar' claim.
In the fresh setback to Sisodia, the court on Monday declined him bail in a money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in the city government's excise policy, saying the charges against him were "very serious in nature".
Reacting to the court's order, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said, "Once again today Arvind Kejriwal and his corrupt government has received a tight slap from the Delhi High Court as it has refused to give any relief to Manish Sisodia in the PMLA case."
"With this, his (Kejriwal's) 'kattar imaandar' (dead honest) certificate has also been dismissed. The only question which remains today is how long Kejriwal will continue to play victim card and vendetta card," he said. Sisodia was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 9 in connection with the case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy for 2020-21.
Asking Kejriwal to stop playing the "victim card" on the issue, the BJP said he should answer why commission was increased in the policy from 2.5 per cent to 12 per cent, wholesale of liquor was given to private players, blacklisted companies were allowed to participate in the tender process and a Rs 144 crore waiver was given to the companies.
The high court also observed that the matter has to be visited with a "different approach" as a deep rooted conspiracy involving huge loss of public funds has been alleged. Chief Minister Kejriwal had described his former deputy Sisodia as ‘kattar imandaar’ after he was arrested by the agency in connection with the case on March 9.
