New Delhi: The AAP on Friday said the Supreme Court granting bail to Manish Sisodia is a 'tight slap' on the 'dictatorship' of the BJP-led Centre but rued that the relief came after a year's delay, and hoped its other jailed leaders, including supremo Arvind Kejriwal, would also get justice.
The court granted bail to the former deputy chief minister in corruption and money laundering cases linked to the Delhi excise policy "scam" case, noting that he has been in custody for 17 months.
"Today truth has won. In the end, only truth wins," said a post by "Team Kejriwal" on the Delhi chief minister's official handle on X. Kejriwal is in the Tihar jail in the same case.
आज सत्य की जीत हुई है। अंत में भी सत्य ही जीतेगा।
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) August 9, 2024
Posted by: Team Arvind Kejriwal https://t.co/e7KRaDPTYN
In a post on X, his wife Sunita Kejriwal said, "Bhagwan ke ghar der hai andher nahee", emphasising there is always justice in God's house.
भगवान के घर देर है अंधेर नहीं 🙏
— Sunita Kejriwal (@KejriwalSunita) August 9, 2024
During the hearing, a bench of justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan said Sisodia has been in custody for 17 months and trial has not yet commenced, depriving him of the right to speedy trial.
Sisodia was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on February 26 last year for purported irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy 2021-22. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested him in the money laundering case stemming from the CBI FIR on March 9 last year. He resigned from the Delhi cabinet on February 28 in 2023.
Sisodia had sought bail contending that he has been in custody for 17 months and the trial against him has not yet started. The ED and the CBI had opposed his bail pleas.
Senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi Education Minister Atishi on X said, "Satyamev Jayate", soon after the apex court granted bail to him.
During an event in Dwarka, where she inaugurated a school, Atishi broke down while welcoming the verdict. "They kept him in jail for 17 months on false charges, and today, he has been granted bail. Today, is the day that the man behind the education revolution of Delhi has been granted bail," she said.
"Today, truth has triumphed, and education has won, the children have won," an emotional Atishi said.
She alleged that he was sent to jail because he provided good education to children and allocated 25 per cent of the budget to education. This made him an excellent education minister, Atishi said.
The verdict is a "tight slap" on the "dictatorship" of BJP-led central government, AAP Rajya Sabha member Singh, who was also jailed in connection with the case, told a press conference.
He accused the BJP of indulging in politics of "hatred" and "ill will", saying AAP leaders were jailed because of a "political grudge". "His bail is a victory of the judiciary and democracy," Singh said.
Singh questioned who is answerable for the plight of Sisodia's family and the 17 months he spent in jail.
"The prime minister should end this politics of keeping our leaders in jail. No evidence was found against them. Kejriwal, Sisodia and Satyendar Jain have been kept in jail by the BJP due to ill will. There is a lot of enthusiasm among AAP workers after Sisodia got bail. Its impact will be felt in the coming elections. We hope Delhi CM Kejriwal will also be soon out of jail," he added.
Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 by the ED in connection with the excise policy case. In May, he was granted interim bail for Lok Sabha poll campaigning. He surrendered on June 2. He was arrested on June 26 by the CBI in the case from the Tihar jail. Though the chief minister has been granted interim bail by the apex court in the ED case, he continues to be in jail because of the CBI case.
Former Delhi health minister Jain is in jail in a different money laundering case lodged by ED.
Atishi said, "We are happy that he (Sisodia) will be out but there is still pain in our hearts because Kejriwal is still in jail. Truth will prevail, and just as Sisodia has been granted bail, Kejriwal will also be released."
AAP Delhi state convener and minister Gopal Rai told the press conference said, "The Supreme Court bail gives a message that no dictatorship can go on indefinitely. Sisodia is known as the father of the education revolution in Delhi. The penance of the people of Delhi has bore fruit today."
Rai alleged that the BJP and its government at the Centre wanted to crush the changes in school education by keeping Sisodia in jail, and added that the party "regretted" the delay in he getting bail.
"He should have got it a year ago. Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal and former minister Satyendar Jain will also hopefully come out of jail soon," he added.
Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said the verdict will prove to be a "milestone" not only for Sisodia but also for all those politicians in jail against whom there is no proof or witness under the "black law" of Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
The court said that today a game of "snakes and ladders" is going on in the country, he said.
AAP national secretary Pankaj Gupta said that the Supreme Court's decision has given rise to a new hope among the people of the country and Delhi.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said in a post on X in Punjabi, "Manish Sisodia's bail is victory of truth."
AAP Rajya Sabha MP Harbhajan Singh posted on X in Hindi, "All of us Aam Aadmi Party workers are happy with the relief Manish ji got from the Supreme Court, best wishes to the family."
Celebrations erupted at the AAP office here after the verdict as sweets were distributed and dhol beats rent the air.