New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) Union Minister of State (MoS) Harsh Malhotra on Saturday reacted to a Delhi court order discharging AAP leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia in the Excise Policy case, saying the order reflects the opinion of the lower court and that the judicial process is still underway.

Speaking to IANS, Malhotra said, “The lower court has clearly stated that due to the absence of witnesses, this case does not currently stand against them. This is the opinion of the lower court. And it is okay if it is said.”

He further alleged that crucial evidence had been tampered with. “It is also known to everyone that 150 phones, from which this whole transaction allegedly took place, were broken. Hundreds and thousands of SIM cards were deactivated,” he claimed.

However, he asserted that the legal discharge does not amount to public endorsement. “Despite that, did the people of Delhi forgive the accused? No, they did not,” he said.

Referring to the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections, Malhotra claimed that voters had raised concerns over the now-scrapped excise policy. “Even in this election, the people of Delhi questioned them — why did you push our young generation towards alcohol? Opening three liquor shops in a single ward was a wrongdoing committed by Kejriwal and his then Deputy Chief Minister Sisodia. They have not yet been absolved of that,” he said.

The Minister emphasised that the matter is far from over. “The judicial process is still underway. And the biggest question is — if they believed the policy was right, why did they withdraw it?” he asked.

Malhotra added that, in his view, the electorate has already delivered a political message. “Society and the people of Delhi have already shown them a trailer in the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections; the legal process is still pending,” he said.

Earlier on Friday (February 27), the court discharged all the accused in the CBI case, observing that the prosecution had failed to produce substantive evidence.

The Rouse Avenue Court granted major relief to Kejriwal and Sisodia in the excise policy case, observing that the prosecution had failed to substantiate its allegations. The CBI had alleged that nearly Rs 100 crore was paid by a “south lobby” to influence the 2021–22 excise policy, which was later scrapped following a probe order.

–IANS

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