CBI questioning of Sisodia: AAP leaders Sanjay Singh, Gopal Rai among 50 others detained for protesting near agency office

AAP MP Sanjay Singh and other party leaders have been detained by Delhi Police for protesting outside CBI office. AAP supporters gathered outside the CBI office as Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia was taken to the CBI office for questioning in connection with liquor scam case. 

The Delhi Police on Sunday detained around 50 AAP leaders, including Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh and MLAs Saurabh Bharadwaj and Gopal Rai, who were staging a protest near the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Headquarters here. 

#WATCH | AAP MP Sanjay Singh and other party leaders detained by Delhi Police for protesting outside CBI office.

Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia is in CBI office for questioning in connection with liquor scam case. pic.twitter.com/nfdLJvdJ91

— ANI (@ANI) February 26, 2023

They were taken to the Fatehpur Beri Police Station. The Delhi Police had imposed section 144 CrPC near the CBI`s headquarters to avoid unwanted gathering.  

The AAP workers had gathered outside Sisodia`s house and CBI`s headquarters to show their strength ahead of Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia`s questioning in the Delhi excise policy scam. 

Shortly before arriving at the CBI office on Sunday for questioning in connection with the alleged Delhi excise policy scam, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said false cases are being lodged against him and other leaders of the ruling party as Prime Minister Narendra Modi was "afraid" of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. 

"Conspiracies are being hatched by the CBI and ED and false cases being lodged against our party leaders because PM Narendra Modi is afraid of CM Arvind Kejriwal's rising popularity. As AAP grows further, BJP will continue to slap false cases on us. We are not afraid of the CBI, ED and their false cases," Sisodia said, claiming that people were starting to regard the AAP as an alternative to the BJP. 

Though Sisodia was summoned last Sunday, he requester for deferment of his questioning as the preparations for the Delhi Budget was round the corner. The senior AAP leader also holds the Finance portfolio in the Delhi government. 

Sisodia tweeted on Sunday that he would fully co-operate with the officials of CBI in the process. Sisodia, along with party leaders Sanjay Singh and others, visited Raj Ghat and paid their tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at his final resting place before leaving for CBI headquarters. 

AAP MP Sanjay Singh, heavily criticized Modi government and alleged that the party leaders were being put under 'house arrest' ahead of Sisodia's appearance before the CBI in connection with the excise policy case. 

On October 22, a similar situation was witnessed in the national capital when Sisodia was called to join the investigation for the first time. 

At that time, the police had to face a tough time dealing with the law and order situations created by the AAP leaders. 

This time the police had made proper security arrangements in advance as they had got the information that the AAP workers and leaders will again create ruckus on the Delhi road,especially near the CBI headquarters. 

Sisodia`s questioning is currently going on. He joined the probe at around 11.10 a.m. 

(With inputs from PTI, ANI)

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