New Delhi: Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, whom the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) summoned for questioning in the liquor policy case, on Sunday requested the agency to defer it to another date since he is ‘busy’ with the ongoing budget exercise of the city government.
According to reports, he has sought a week’s time to appear for answering the corruption allegations. “Because it is the last week of February, it is a very crucial time for me as Delhi’s annual budget is being prepared. I have requested them for time till the end of February so that the Budget is finalised,” he said, adding that he would “fully cooperate” with the central agency.
The CBI has accepted his request and would reissue a fresh date soon, officials were quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Sisodia is among the 15 accused in the Delhi excise policy “scam”. He received the summon on Saturday and was scheduled to visit the CBI headquarters at south Delhi’s Lodhi Road around 11 am.
The call for questioning came a day after the Supreme Court agreed to the AAP’s request that members of Delhi’s civic body nominated by the Lieutenant Governor can’t vote in the mayor election.
The senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader had earlier claimed he was apprehensive that the BJP could have given orders to arrest him after the questioning. “I am not afraid of arrest and not running away from questions. I am only concerned about the budget for now,” he was quoted as saying by India Today.
Sisodia further alleged that the BJP is involved in vindictive politics and the case was only a political conspiracy. “It was the best policy in the country. It would have benefitted the people as well as the government. It could have impacted the liquor mafia negatively. The political vendetta behind the case will soon be exposed,” he added.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that the same policy was implemented in Punjab and the revenue increased by 48%.
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