Manish Sisodia CBI questioning: Kejriwal says 'prison locks will break' as CBI grills Delhi Deputy CM - Top updates

Protesting the questioning of Manish Sisodia by the CBI in the Delhi excise policy case, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Monday that his deputy will be free. The remark came even as there is no official word on Sisodia’s arrest. 

"Prison locks will break, Manish Sisodia will be free," he tweeted in Hindi while sharing a video of Sisodia addressing supporters before he headed to the CBI for questioning.

In the news video clip shared by Kejriwal, Sisodia said the government wants to imprison him, but he is a follower of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh, and he is not afraid of going to jail. 

"20-year-olds sacrificed their lives for our freedom struggle. The nation demands sacrifice once again. The nation demands once again someone who is not scared to go to jail, and we are proud that we don't fear that," he said.

"They raided my home, nothing came out of it. They went to my village to find anything against him, but they got nothing. Now they plan to arrest me to stop me from campaigning in Gujarat. I am not afraid of CBI, ED (Enforcement DIrectorate) or going to the jail," he added.

After Sisodia being summoned by the central agency to appear before it in the excise policy matter, the Aam Aadmi Party on Monday claimed that the deputy CM will be arrested by the CBI today.  

On Monday, the Delhi Police detained AAP leader Sanjay Singh and other protesters outside the CBI headquarters for alleged violation of prohibitory orders. 

A senior police officer said AAP MP Sanjay Singh has been detained along with other protesters for unlawfully protesting at the CGO complex, where CrPC section 144 is in effect. Section 144 of the Code Of Criminal Procedure prohibits the assembly of four or more people.

Sisodia is being questioned by the CBI in connection with alleged irregularities in implementation of the now-scrapped Excise Policy 2021-22.

Earlier in a series of tweets, Sisodia said, "A completely fake case has been prepared against me. Nothing was found in the raid at my residence, search of my bank lockers and enquiries made at my village. It is a totally fake case."

The Delhi deputy chief minister, who also holds the excise portfolio in the Kejriwal government, is one of the main accused in the FIR registered in the matter by the CBI. Kejriwal also termed the case against his deputy as "fake".

"Nothing was found in the raid at the residence of Manish and his bank locker. The case against him is totally fake. He had to go to Gujarat for campaigning that's why he is being arrested but the campaigning will not stop. Every person in Gujarat is campaigning for the AAP in Gujarat," Kejriwal tweeted.

Sisodia also linked his questioning with elections in Gujarat, saying campaigning in the state will not stop even after he goes to jail.

Every Gujarati has awakened now and everyone there is campaigning for good schools, hospitals, jobs and electricity, Sisodia said and added the upcoming polls in Gujarat will be a "movement".