 "CBI raids: Orders 'from above' to harass us, don't panic, says Kejriwal")
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said the CBI raids on Manish Sisodia,"the best education minister of independent India" were on the orders "from above to harass us
" and are just obstacles in their 'Make India Number 1' mission, but they will not be deterred by such moves.
Taking to Twitter, Kejriwal attached the front page of the New York Times featuring Sisodia along with a news story "Our Children are worth it; overhaul of public schools in Delhi has students clamouring to enroll", and said the CBI raids come on a day the biggest newspaper in America has a photo of his deputy on the front page with an article praising the Delhi education model.
He alleged that the central agency has orders "from above to harass" the Aam Aadmi Party leaders and that there is no need to panic, but asserted that the universe was with them.
The CBI on Friday morning carried out searches at the residences of Sisodia and IAS officer Arava Gopi Krishna and 19 other locations after registering an FIR in connection with the Delhi excise policy case, officials said.
"Delhi has made India proud. The Delhi model is on the front page of the biggest newspaper of the US. Manish Sisodia is the best education minister of independent India," Kejriwal tweeted.
Later addressing an online press conference, he said,"It is a matter of pride for the country that Manish Sisodia's name is on the front page of the biggest newspaper of the most powerful country in the world. In a way, he has been declared the best education minister in the world. The biggest newspaper wrote about Delhi's education revolution and carried Sisodia's photograph also.
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He claimed that last time India's name was featured in NYT was over mass deaths happening in the country due to COVID-19.
Asserting that they are not scared and there were raids against his other ministers Kailash Gahlot and Satyendar Jain too, but nothing came out of them, Kejriwal on Friday said obstacles will come, but the good work won't stop.
"Many obstacles will be created in our path in our mission. This is not the first raid on Sisodia; there were raids in the past too. There have been raids also on many of our ministers and me too, but nothing came out of them and nothing will come out this time as well," he said.
"There is no need to panic since there will be obstacles to stop our work. The CBI has been asked from above to harass us," Kejriwal said.
The chief minister on Wednesday announced his national mission to 'Make India Number 1" in the world, pursuing free education and healthcare, fair price to farmers for their produce, employment for youth and respect and equality for women.
"We announced the mission to 'Make India Number One Country' in the world on Wednesday. People must join this mission by giving a missed call on 9510001000. We cannot leave the country to political parties. We have to come together," he stressed.
Calling the NYT article divine intervention, he said the powers of the universe are with them.
"Day before yesterday, we announced our mission to make number one country in the world and yesterday, the NYT article was published. The realisation of the dream has started -- it will take time and effort but we will do it," he said.
Delhi Lt Governor V K Saxena last month recommended a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in the implementation of the Excise Policy 2021-22. He had also suspended 11 excise officials in the matter. Sisodia had also demanded a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities in the policy.
Jain was arrested on May 30 by the Enforcement Directorate under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and is presently in judicial custody.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)