The CBI on Wednesday told a Delhi court that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has accused his former deputy, Manish Sisodia, of recommending the privatisation of liquor stores in the city under the now-scrapped excise policy. The AAP chief vehemently denied these claims.

The CBI made this statement before the Rouse Avenue Court after arresting Kejriwal in connection with the alleged liquor policy scam. The Delhi CM was also questioned by the CBI on Tuesday.

“I did not make any statement that Manish Sisodia is guilty,” Kejriwal said. “Manish Sisodia is absolutely innocent. Their aim is to defame us. I told the CBI yesterday that these are absurd allegations.”

“A false narrative is being spread by CBI sources in the media that I put the blame of the liquor policy scam on Sisodiaji. I did not make any such statement blaming him or any other person.”

“I had said Sisodiaji is innocent… Aam Aadmi Party is innocent… and I am innocent. But CBI’s plan is to malign us in the media. Please record… CBI sources spread fake news,” Mr Kejriwal told the court.

The CBI also told the court, “We have talked on facts.”

However, the court disagreed with the CBI’s claim that Kejriwal placed the “entire onus” of the alleged privatisation issue on Sisodia.  The court said, “We have read the statement made by him. Kejriwal has not made any such statement.”

The court also made it clear that Kejriwal only mentioned that privatisation was not his idea and the CBI’s claim was “wrongly perceived”.

Kejriwal reiterated Sisodia’s innocence and accused the CBI of twisting facts in the court. “CBI is defaming me… defaming AAP. I am innocent and Sisodia ji is also innocent,” he said.

“They asked me about objectives (of excise policy). I said increasing revenue, and that there were long queues (outside liquor vends). I called Sisodia and gave him directions. Then (CBI) asked whose idea was privatisation. I said it was not my idea,” Kejriwal said.

The former deputy chief minister of Delhi was arrested by the CBI on February 26, 2023, for his alleged role in the scam. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested him on March 9, 2023, in a money laundering case stemming from the CBI’s probe. As Excise Minister, Sisodia formulated the liquor policy for Delhi.

Meanwhile, Kejriwal today withdrew his plea challenging the interim stay by the Delhi High Court on his bail granted by a trial court last week. He will file a fresh petition challenging the Delhi HC’s final order reversing the bail in the Delhi excise case being probed by the ED.