Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal being greeted by party leader Manish Sisodia as he arrives at his residence after being released from Tihar Jail on bail.
Credit: PTI Photo
Senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi's former deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has for the first time spoken at length to party workers and the public about his time in judicial custody for the CBI corruption case linked to the alleged excise policy scam.
He alleged that attempts were made to turn him against his political mentor and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal in jail.
"They tried to break me. I was told that Arvind Kejriwal had framed me. They told the court that Arvind Kejriwal named Manish Sisodia. I was told in the jail, 'name Kejriwal, you will be saved'," Mr Sisodia said. He was speaking at a party event called Janata ki Adalat (People's Court).
Kejriwal too had accused of CBI sources of telling the media that he had put the entire blame on Manish Sisodia that was, according to him, a complete falsehood. "I have not given any statement that Sisodia is guilty or anyone else is guilty. I have said Sisodia is innocent, AAP is innocent, and I am innocent," he had told the court.
Sisodia also claimed that he got offers to 'switch' to the BJP. "I was told, 'switch over', ' they will get you killed in jail'. I was told to think about myself, and that no one thinks about anyone in politics. I was told to think about my family, my ailing wife, and my son who is in college. I told them that you are trying to separate Laxman from Ram. No Raavan in the world has the power to do that. For 26 years, Arvind Kejriwal has been my brother and political mentor," he said.
"They could neither break us from within nor break up the party," Sisodia said, as AAP looks to contest the assembly polls in multiple states in the coming months.