New Delhi, Feb 27 (IANS) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday said the trial court’s discharge of former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in the Delhi excise policy case marked a significant setback to what he described as the Centre’s “political misuse” of investigative agencies.

Vijayan, who is in Delhi to take part in the party politburo meeting due to his busy schedule, spoke to Kejriwal over the phone.

In a statement issued on Friday night, Vijayan said the verdict exposed attempts by the BJP-led Union government to target political opponents by registering what he termed as false cases.

“The judgment is not only a blow to the BJP but also to the Congress, which, with vested political interests, aided the BJP in this matter,” he said.

The Chief Minister contended that the court had effectively questioned efforts to destabilise non-BJP state governments by weaponising central agencies.

He pointed to the court’s reported criticism of the CBI for arraigning the accused without sufficient evidence as a key takeaway from the ruling.

Vijayan alleged that investigative agencies were used as tools for political gain and claimed that a “political conspiracy” had been orchestrated in Delhi to undermine the Aam Aadmi Party government.

He further accused the Congress of playing a pivotal role in initiating action against Kejriwal, noting that in June 2022, the then Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president had approached the Delhi Police under the Union Home Ministry, alleging corruption in the excise policy.

He also recalled that when Sisodia was arrested by a central agency, the Congress had welcomed the move and demanded Kejriwal’s arrest.

Complaints by Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit were, he alleged, used by the Delhi Lieutenant Governor to target the AAP government.

Describing the Congress as having acted as a “megaphone” for the BJP against the AAP, Vijayan said the verdict had political implications beyond Delhi.

–IANS

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