BJP workers demnading the resignation of Manish Sisodia, on Thursday
| Photo Credit: SUSHIL KUMAR VERMA
BJP’s Delhi unit on Thursday staged a protest outside AAP’s office and sought Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia’s sacking over allegations of political intelligence gathering.
In a letter to Lieutenant-Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena’s office, the MHA granted prosecution sanction under Section 17 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which claims that as per its preliminary inquiry the feedback unit, set up under Delhi government’s Vigilance Department in 2015, was involved in gathering political intelligence and snooping. The L-G had earlier this month given his nod and forwarded the CBI’s proposal to the MHA. Mr. Sisodia and the AAP government have maintained that the allegations are “completely bogus”.
After the MHA’s nod, the Deputy CM tweeted on Wednesday, “To file false cases on your opponents is a sign of a weak and cowardly person. As the Aam Aadmi Party grows, more cases will be filed against us.”
On Thursday, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said the “snooping scandal was a threat to the country’s security” and asked his party workers to spread the word about it among the people.
“This protest is not going to stop now and the BJP’s struggle will continue till Sisodia is arrested and resigns from his post of Deputy CM,” Mr. Sachdeva said.
North-east Delhi MP Manoj Tiwari said that there is now a fear that anyone’s phone could be tapped. “Kejriwal should tell us why he was getting the phones tapped? Were they giving information related to the security of the country to other countries?” Mr. Tiwari said, adding that the questions about national security are being raised “because divisive slogans were raised in Punjab where AAP is in power”.
Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said governments across the world have had to resign for spying on opponents. “Former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar also had to resign after Rajiv Gandhi accused him of spying on his family,” Mr. Bidhuri said.
Senior party leaders, including former Union Minister Vijay Goel, Jammu and Kashmir co-in charge Ashish Sood, MLAs Ajay Mahawar and Abhay Verma mobilised the supporters as they raised slogans demanding Mr. Sisodia’s removal from the Cabinet.
