New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge on Saturday criticised the alleged use of central agencies following the Delhi Court’s discharge of former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in the Excise Policy case. He alleged that agencies such as the CBI, Income Tax (IT) Department, and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) have been misused for political gains by the BJP.

Speaking to reporters, Kharge said, “The CBI, IT and ED have been used as puppets to ensure political gains for the BJP. These agencies have been weaponised. Even the Supreme Court has made observations on the issue. Where is the chargesheet in the case of Arvind Kejriwal or Manish Sisodia? If you look at the statistics of IT and ED raids, in nearly 98 per cent of the cases, there are no convictions. Hardly 3 to 4 per cent result in any concrete outcome. These institutions are being used only for political purposes and nothing else.”

Congress MP Pramod Tiwari also reacted to the development.

Speaking to IANS, he said, “Elections are approaching in Gujarat and Punjab, and they must be conducted freely and fairly. The Bharatiya Janata Party uses its resources and personnel to decide when, where and against whom to act. A detailed statement on this has already been issued by Pawan, and I welcome it.”

Meanwhile, JD(U) spokesperson Neeraj Kumar urged restraint.

He said, “Arvind Kejriwal has served as the Chief Minister of Delhi. The lower court has discharged him and has also made judicial observations in the matter. As per media reports, the CBI is approaching a higher court. Therefore, there is no need to be overly excited or worried at this stage. This is simply part of the judicial process.”

Earlier on Friday, Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia were acquitted in the high-profile Delhi liquor excise policy case.

The Rouse Avenue Court observed that there was no evidence against the two leaders, granting them a major reprieve.

The court emphasised the importance of a fair investigation to ensure a fair trial, noting that the prosecution had failed to substantiate its allegations.

Regarding Sisodia, the court stated that the charges leveled by the CBI lacked merit, no criminal conspiracy could be established, and the prosecution was unable to prove its case.

The decision came after the court reserved its verdict on February 12, following detailed arguments from the CBI and the defence.

Besides Kejriwal and Sisodia, 21 other individuals were also accused in the case. At the time the matter arose, Kejriwal was serving as Delhi Chief Minister and Sisodia as his deputy.

The CBI had filed its first chargesheet in 2022 and subsequently submitted several supplementary chargesheets. The agency had alleged that approximately Rs 100 crore was paid by a “south lobby” to influence the now-cancelled excise policy in its favour.

–IANS

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