Kejriwal, AAP leaders visit Rajghat to mark a year of Sisodia's arrest

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and leaders of his AAP (Aam Aadmi Party) on Monday visited Rajghat — the memorial to Mahatma Gandhi in New Delhi — to mark one year of the arrest of former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia.

Sisodia, who held the education portfolio as well, was arrested on 26 February 2023 in connection with a probe into the now scrapped Delhi excise policy. AAP leaders and ministers Atishi, Saurabh Bharadwaj and Durgesh Pathak were among those who accompanied Kejriwal to Rajghat.

Speaking to the media after his visit, Kejriwal said, "Last year on this day, the Central government arrested the most capable education minister of our administration in connection with a false case."

He asserted that it was Sisodia who improved the quality of education in the national capital. "Manish Sisodia improved the quality of education in the national capital and brought hope after 75 years. But a leader like him was framed in a false case. Cases against him would have been withdrawn, had he joined the BJP," Kejriwal claimed. "But Sisodia chose not to leave the path of truth."

In a subsequent post on X, Kejriwal said Sisodia was an "inspiration" for AAP leaders. "Manish is an inspiration for the entire Aam Aadmi Party and for all other Indians who are fighting the corrupt. Today, we all went to Rajghat and offered flowers to Pujya Bapu and prayed to give more courage to Manish in this fight against dictatorship and injustice," Kejriwal wrote in Hindi.

Sisodia was also arrested by the ED in an alleged money-laundering case stemming from a CBI FIR on 9 March after questioning him in Tihar jail. The AAP leader resigned from the Delhi cabinet on 28 February.

The high court denied him bail in the CBI case on 30 May 2023, saying having been the deputy chief minister and excise minister, he is a "high-profile" person who has the potential to influence witnesses.

On 30 October, the Supreme Court rejected his regular bail pleas in cases related to the alleged excise policy scam, saying "tentatively transfer of Rs 338 crore was established in the matter".