NEW DELHI: Off to a stormy start, the one-day special session of the Delhi Assembly on Friday, which is currently underway saw sloganeering in the House by both the AAP and the BJP pitched against each other over the controversy surrounding the Delhi excise policy with deputy speaker Rakhi Birla asking the security to marshal out the opposition leaders for the entire day of the session.
The special session has been called by the Delhi government to discuss the CBI probe in the Delhi excise policy 2021-22 as well as BJP allegedly trying to buy out AAP MLAs.
Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, also holding the excise, education and finance portfolios, in his address to the House termed the CBI fir against him "fake" and alleged that the BJP-ruled Centre was acting like a "serial killer" to topple state governments led by other parties including the AAP.
He began his speech with the day the CBI raided his residence on August 19, which was also the day Janamashti (birth of Lord Krishna) was celebrated this year and that he was ready to go visit a temple with his family members to offer prayers when the CBI reached his doorstep. "It was the day of the festival and had started on a great note with someone sending me on my WhatsApp, a clip of the front page of The New York Times (NYT) having published a story with a large photo of the good work done by the Delhi government in its schools. Just then as I was rejoicing in the moment, I was told by my staff that CBI officers are at the gate to search my house. I was taken aback as to why would the CBI want to search my house when I haven't done anything wrong... Conduct 1000 more raids, you will find nothing," said Sisodia.
Sisodia said CBI officers searched his residence for 14 hours at a stretch including his clothing his kid's clothes, bedding etc, but they could not find a single thing that would indicate any wrongdoing or corruption. clothes and even his children's clothes during the 14-hour raid at his house but found nothing. "They searched my office even as the Delhi Secretariat was closed on account of gazetted holiday for Janmashtami. I have only taken Delhi's education forward, which is the only thing I am guilty of," he said.
At a time when the work done in the education sector in the national capital is being appreciated globally, the BJP-ruled Centre is not able to "digest this", said Sisodia.
Calling the BJP-led Centre "insecure", he said that they cannot see any development work being done by any other party or government.
A few days later, he said, someone called him to say that he may be in on a long haul with the allegations in the excise policy and will have to suffer for years. "This person said that I could be saved and even made the chief minister if I cause a rift in the AAP and break away from them," Sisodia alleged.
He further said that he joined politics, not to hold any posts, but only to do good work that helps people.
This was even as BJP leaders sat outside the House in protest holding placards demanding the ouster of Sisodia from the Cabinet.