Kejriwal, Uddhav, Mamata, Other Oppn Leaders Write To PM Modi Over Sisodia's Arrest: 'These Agencies Have...'

New Delhi: Opposition leaders such as AAP's Arvind Kejriwal, Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav, and NCP's Sharad Pawar, on Sunday (March 5), wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the arrest of Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in connection with excise policy case. Uddhav Thackeray, KCR, Bhagwant Mann, Tejashwi Yadav, Mamata Banerjee, and Farooq Abdullah also signed the letter. The letter addressed to the PM, said that the arrest of Sisodia doesn't bode well for India as a democratic country.

Nine Opposition leaders including Arvind Kejriwal have written to PM Modi on the arrest of former Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia in the excise policy case. They have stated that the action appears to suggest that "we have transitioned from being a democracy to an autocracy". pic.twitter.com/ohXn3rNuxI — ANI (@ANI) March 5, 2023

Calling the arrest of Sisodia part of a political conspiracy, the letter read, "The allegations against Sisodia are outrightly baseless and smack of a political conspiracy. His arrest has enraged people across the country. Manish Sisodia is recognized globally for transforming Delhi’s school education. His arrest will be cited worldwide as an example of a political witch-hunt and further confirm what the world was only suspecting – that India’s democratic values stand threatened under the authoritarian BJP regime."

The letter also mentioned how central agencies were reportedly being used for political vendettas and gains.

"The misuse of central agencies and constitutional offices like that of the Governor – to settle scores outside the electoral battlefield is strongly condemnable as it does not bode well for our democracy. The manner in which these agencies have been used since 2014 has tarnished their image and raised questions about their autonomy and impartiality. The faith of the people of India in these agencies continues to erode," it read. 

A Delhi court postponed the hearing for Manish Sisodia's bail request until March 10. Sisodia had cited Holi festivities and his wife's health as reasons for granting him bail. However, the court did not grant him bail on this day and scheduled another hearing for March 10. 

Sisodia was taken into custody by the agency on February 26, following an eight-hour interrogation. The CBI claimed that they arrested him on the grounds of suspected irregularities in creating and executing the excise policy, as he provided "evasive responses" and failed to "cooperate with the investigation."