CBI FIR fake, Centre acting like 'killer' to eliminate state govts: Sisodia

The BJP-led Centre is acting like a serial killer to eliminate state governments, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia claimed on Friday, as he termed the CBI FIR against him "completely fake" and based on "mere sources".

Speaking in the Delhi Assembly, Sisodia said the CBI does not have proof of any corruption in the city government's excise policy.

He also alleged that the CBI conducted raids on his residence because the Delhi government's good work was being praised across the globe.

The deputy chief minister, who is an accused in the CBI case related to the Delhi government's excise policy, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi "feels insecure" seeing good work done by others.

"Prime Minister Modi feels insecure seeing good work by others. I have not seen a more insecure person than him. Had Arvind Kejriwal been the prime minister and I the education minister of a state, he would not have done something like this," Sisodia said, participating in a discussion on a government resolution moved by Revenue Minister Kailash Gahlot.

The deputy chief minister asserted that Kejriwal supported the prime minister in all the Centre's good initiatives but the PM did the opposite.

He said CBI officers searched his clothes and even his children's clothes during the 14-hour raid at his house but found nothing.

"The FIR against me is completely fake. I have committed no corruption...They (BJP) are acting like serial killer to eliminate other state governments. The effort they are putting to murder state governments, they should have put that much effort into building schools and hospitals," Sisodia said.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday had held a show of strength by summoning all its MLAs at party supremo Arvind Kejriwal's residence where he accused the BJP of trying to topple his government by offering Rs 800 crore to 40 of his legislators for switching sides. Kejriwal also questioned if the money came from GST collections, the PM CARES fund or some of the BJP's "friends".

Speaking in the House, the deputy chief minister defended his government's Excise Policy 2021-22, which has now been withdrawn.

"There was no burden on the people in the excise policy and the government's revenue also increased, but still the BJP was alleging corruption in it," Sisodia said.

He said that the FIR against him was based on "mere sources" as the CBI does not have any proof for any corruption. He said the real reason behind the CBI raid was Delhi government's good works, which were being praised across the globe.

The CBI is currently probing alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of the Kejriwal government's new excise policy and has named Sisodia, who holds the excise portfolio, as one of the accused in its FIR. The agency conducted a raid at the deputy chief minister's residence last week.

Sisodia also alleged that a huge "conspiracy" was at play to topple the state government. He claimed the BJP offered to have cases against him dropped if he joined the party.

"They told me to leave Kejriwal, come to BJP and all cases will be shut. But I said I have not done anything wrong and I will be released by court. I have not come here to become the chief minister. You cannot break me and I am not ready to budge in front of them. I assure people that you have bought us with your votes and now no power can buy us," the AAP leader said.

Sisodia stressed it was all being done so that children do not get education and can be used for the BJP's hooliganism.

Fifty-three MLAs were physically present in the meeting at the chief minister's residence on Thursday, while one -- Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan -- attended it over phone. Seven MLAs, Sisodia and Speaker Ram Niwas Goel were out of station and minister Satyendar Jain is in jail.

Sisodia, who also holds the education portfolio, drew parallels of India's average education age of children with that of other countries and said that the nation was lagging in the segment and was only ahead of Pakistan.

He said that after 75 years of Independence, the condition of education is such that on an average, children get education for six years in India.

"We are ahead of Pakistan where the average age is five years. In US, Britain and Japan, the same figure is 13 years while in South Africa it is 10 years...PM Narendra Modi has small thinking and such thinking is responsible for our poor condition in health and education," Sisodia said.

He added that only Kejriwal can increase the average education age of the country and end the high fees charged by private schools.