Manish Sisodia, the journalist-turned-politician who is the Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi and the man widely credited for uplifting Indian capital’s public education system, had Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials visit his home Friday morning as part of an investigation into Delhi’s now-scrapped liquor policy. Sisodia, 50, says the CBI raid was politically motivated. 

The Delhi Deputy CM called a press conference on Saturday where he lambasted the Narendra Modi-led Union government for “misusing” central agencies to target opposition politicians. Sisodia said the “high command” had sent CBI officials to his home because the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party’s work in health and education was being appreciated globally. 

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“The BJP-ruled central government is not worried about any excise fraud, it is worried about Arvind Kejriwal because they see him as the main challenger to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the upcoming general election,” Sisodia said, adding that the 2024 elections will be a contest between AAP and BJP. 

Manish Sisodia also denied any wrongdoing and said that the Excise Policy, which was scrapped in July, was implemented with complete transparency. Sisodia said he might be arrested in coming days but added with conviction that arresting him would not deter his or his party’s work. 

After Manish Sisodia’s home was raided Friday morning, AAP leaders, including party chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, came up with pictures of a frontpage article on Delhi’s public education system by the New York Times. Kejriwal said the Centre had decided to send CBI officials to Sisodia’s home the same day the article came out and exuded confidence that investigators wouldn’t find anything. 

Union minister Anurag Thakur said Manish Sisodia is only an accused in the ‘liquor scam’, but Arvind Kejriwal is the kingpin. About Sisodia’s claim that AAP will be the prime challenger to the BJP in the 2024 elections, Thakur said, “AAP made tall claims earlier too but could not stand before PM Modi.”