Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan praised the trial court’s decision to discharge former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in the Delhi excise policy case. Vijayan, currently in Delhi for a party meeting, emphasized the ruling as a setback to what he termed as the Centre’s “political misuse” of investigative agencies.
Vijayan highlighted the court’s criticism of the CBI for lack of evidence in arraigning the accused, suggesting that the judgment exposed alleged attempts by the BJP-led government to target political opponents with false cases. He accused the BJP and Congress of collaborating with vested interests to pursue such actions.
The Chief Minister further alleged that investigative agencies were being manipulated for political gains, pointing to a purported “political conspiracy” in Delhi to undermine the Aam Aadmi Party government. He criticized the Congress for its role in initiating actions against Kejriwal and Sisodia, citing instances where the party had supported arrests and complaints against AAP leaders.
Vijayan underscored the broader political implications of the verdict, stating that it not only impacted Delhi but also questioned efforts to destabilize non-BJP state governments through central agencies. He condemned the alleged misuse of agencies for political purposes and emphasized the need to uphold the integrity of investigative processes.
