Brinda Karat slams Centre over CBI raid at Sisodia's residence, says opposition parties being targeted

New Delhi [India], August 19 : CPI-M leader Brinda Karat on Friday condemned CBI raid at Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia's residence saying that BJP-led Centre is targeting the Opposition political parties with the help of central agencies.
"I strongly condemn the CBI raid. Manish Sisodia is the Deputy CM of Delhi that's why he is being targeted. Had he been in RSS or BJP, and bowed before them, he would have got clean-chit in everything. Everything is just politics. This is happening throughout the country," Karat told ANI.
She alleged that the BJP-led Central government wants to expand its power across the country by targeting opposition parties with raids.
"The raids have got nothing to do with corruption. They just want to expand their power by targeting the opposition," she said.
The Central Bureau of Investigation on Friday conducted searches at the residence of Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and several other locations in different states in connection with the alleged scam in the recently withdrawn excise policy of the Aam Aadmi Party government.
CBI said searches are being conducted today at 31 locations including in Delhi, Gurugram, Chandigarh, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Bengaluru which, so far, have led to the recovery of incriminating documents, articles and digital records. It said investigations are underway.
The CBI has registered an FIR in connection with the case. Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena had in July recommended a CBI probe over alleged violations of rules in the Excise Policy which was implemented in November last year.
Sisodia was among 15 persons booked in the FIR filed by CBI. Excise officials, liquor company executives, dealers along with unknown public servants and private persons have also been booked in the case.
As CBI officials arrived at his residence this morning, Sisodia said AAP government is honest and referred to its work in the field of education.
"CBI has arrived. We are honest, building a future for lakhs of children. Unfortunate that in this country, whoever does good work is hassled just like this, that is why our country is still not number-1."
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also tweeted his support for Sisodia saying that nothing will come out of this raid and that many such happened in past. "I welcome CBI. We will cooperate fully. There have been many such probes, and raids in past. Nothing came out. Nothing will come out this time too," Kejriwal said.