Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Tuesday dubbed the BJP a "bachha chor" party in the Delhi Assembly while referring to the arrest of a BJP corporator in an alleged child kidnapping case and alleged that false news was planted to say that property papers were found from his locker during a CBI search.
"We have answered all questions of the Opposition. We can't answer lies being thrown by them. Only items worth Rs 70,000-Rs 80,000 including 'jhunjuna (a toy)' of my son was found in the locker by CBI," Sisodia said in the House amid uproar by Opposition MLAs, reports PTI.
Sisodia and his wife were present as a four-member CBI team conducted a search of his locker at a Punjab National Bank branch in Vasundhara, Ghaziabad, on the outskirts of the national capital, television news channels reported.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader is among the 15 people and entities named in an FIR registered by the agency in connection with alleged irregularities in the implementation of Delhi government's Excise Policy 2021-22.
As the uproar continued, Deputy Speaker Rakhi Birla marshalled out all BJP MLAs except Leader of Opposition Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, who also walked out in protest.
Sisodia was referring to the arrest of a BJP corporator and seven others in connection with the recovery of a seven-month-old child who was stolen from a platform of the Mathura junction six days ago.
Earlier, CBI officials searched Sisodia's locker amid a media scrum outside the bank with news camera crews jostling with each other and a curious crowd of onlookers.
A team of about five Central Bureau of Investigation officials reached the PNB branch at Sector 4 Vasundhara in Ghaziabad, on the outskirts of the national capital, to execute the search, officials said.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader is among the 15 people and entities named in an FIR registered by the agency in connection with alleged irregularities in the implementation of Delhi government's Excise Policy 2021-22.
"Clean chit...CBI found nothing in my bank locker," Sisodia told the media after the search.
On August 19, the federal probe agency had raided 31 locations, including Sisodia's residence.
Sisodia has been saying that he has been named an accused in a false case to stop the march of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who has emerged as an alternative to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
During a special session of the Delhi Assembly on Friday, the AAP leader had claimed that the BJP-led Centre is acting like a serial killer to eliminate state governments and described the CBI FIR against him as "fake" and based on "mere sources".
The CBI has contended that the new liquor policy was introduced without the permission of Delhi's then Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal. It alleges that many ineligible vendors were awarded licences by the Delhi government in exchange for bribes. The policy, introduced in November last year, was withdrawn eight months later amid allegations of corruption.
The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has rejected all allegations of irregularities in the policy. Sisodia has said it was implemented with complete transparency and has alleged that the BJP raised the issue to counter AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal's political challenge. "These people are not concerned about the scam. Their worry is Arvind Kejriwal [the Chief Minister of Delhi], who is loved by the masses and has emerged as a national option," he said following the raids at his home.
