BJP 'using' Anna Hazare as CBI found nothing against Manish Sisodia, claims CM Kejriwal
New Delhi, Aug 30: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Tuesday slammed the BJP following Anna Hazare's letter to him over the liquor policy, alleging it was "using" the social activist since the CBI found nothing in the probe involving his deputy Manish Sisodia.
He claimed the CBI has given an "informal clean chit" to the Delhi deputy chief minister but may arrest him within a week or 10 days under political pressure. Kejriwal also claimed "people don't believe the BJP".
Hazare on Tuesday wrote a letter to Kejriwal, slamming his government's Excise Policy 2021-22 and said it seems the Delhi chief minister has "sunk into the addiction of power." He also said it seems the new policy will encourage liquor sales and consumption and spur corruption.
Last month, Delhi Lt Governor V K Saxena recommended a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities in the implementation of Delhi's Excise Policy 2021-22. Immediately after that, the Delhi government repealed the new policy.
Kejriwal said the BJP termed him a "terrorist" during the Punjab Assembly elections and "when no one believed them they brought in Kumar Viswas".
"Now they are using Anna Hazare to target my government," he alleged.
The CBI raided Sisodia's residence and checked his bank locker but found nothing incriminating, he said.
"Sisodia has been informally given a clean chit by the CBI but will be arrested in a week or 10 days under political pressure. They (BJP) are using Anna Hazare as people don't believe in their liquor scam charge," Kejriwal said.
A four-member team of the CBI conducted the search at a Punjab National Bank branch in Vasundhara, Ghaziabad, for nearly two hours. Sisodia and his wife were present at the time.
After the CBI team went through his locker for about two hours, Sisodia said the probe agency has given him a "clean chit". The CBI was acting under pressure, he told reporters.
The Aam Aadmi Party leader is among the 15 people and entities named in an FIR registered by the agency in connection with alleged irregularities in the implementation of the Delhi government's Excise Policy 2021-22.
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Skipper Curran, bowlers lead PBKS to a five-wicket win over RR
Guwahati, May 15: Skipper Sam Curran played the lead act hitting a well-paced fifty and taking two wickets, as Punjab Kings consigned Rajasthan Royals to a five-wicket defeat in their IPL match here on Wednesday.
The target was a mere 145, but Kings made heavy weather of it on a sluggish track here but Curran (63 not out, 41b, 5x4, 3x6) had a calm head and skills to lift them to their fifth win of the season. PBKS made 145/5 in 18.5 overs.
The Englishman received good support from Jitesh Sharma (22, 20b) as the pair added 63 runs in a fluent fifth wicket partnership.
For Royals, it was their fourth defeat on the trot, but they remained second on the table with 16 points with a qualification to the playoffs to boot with.
The Kings’ chase began on a shaky note as they lost Prabhsimran Singh in the first over itself to Trent Boult.
But bigger jolts were in store as an impressive Avesh Khan (2/28) scalped two wickets in the fifth over.
The right-arm pacer first plucked the important wicket of Rilee Rossouw, who played some strong shots in his 13-ball 22, and then jettisoned in-form Shashank Singh for a two-ball naught.
Shashank failed to connect a fuller, straighter one from Avesh while attempting a flick, and the 141 kmph delivery thudded on his bat. Shashank did not even bother to use DRS as he walked away.
Punjab gained some ground through the alliance between Curran and Jitesh, who smoked R Ashwin for two sixes.
Curran too gave a dose of punishment to the veteran offie, lofting him for a wonderful six over extra cover.
But the blossoming stand was snapped by Yuzvendra Chahal (2/31), leaving PBKS at 111 for five in the 16th over.
However, Curran and Ashutosh Sharma (17 not out, 11 balls) knocked off the remaining runs without further drama.
Earlier, despite a well-tuned 48 from local hero Riyan Parag, RR struggled against an array of accurate bowlers on a rather slow pitch, meandering to a sub-par 144 for nine.
R Ashwin (28, 19b, 3x4, 1x6) and Parag (48, 34, 6x4) tried to accelerate during their 50-run stand for the fourth wicket but it could only bring in a temporary momentum for RR.
In fact, lethargy had set in very early in the Rajasthan innings after the early loss of Jaiswal, who chopped a Curran (2/24) delivery back on to his stumps.
Sanju Samson (18), who went past 500-run in a season for the first time in his IPL career, and Tom-Kohler Cadmore (18, 23b) stitched 36 runs for the second wicket but took six overs for it.
But with Curran and Arshdeep finding a hint of swing and maintaining a good line, scoring was not an easy proposition for the RR batters.
Eventually, Samson, who tried a hopping cut off pacer Nathan Ellis, gave a simple catch to Rahul Chahar at point in the seventh over.
Cadmore too returned to the dugout in the next over, as his almighty heave off leg-spinner Chahar (2/26) could not progress beyond Jitesh in the deep.
Those twin dismissals actually paved the way for the best phase in the Royals’ innings as Ashwin and Parag pressed their foot on the right pedal.
Ashwin displayed his batting skills, smashing Chahar for 17 runs in the 12th over that included a sequence of 6, 4, 4 and the first four was a stunning reverse scoop over backward point.
But he could not further extend his innings, lofting Arshdeep to Shashank.
Parag, usually a free-flowing batter, had to curb his flair in front of a hugely adoring home crowd because of the regular fall of wickets at the other end.
But a late cut off Curran that sped to third man stood as a testament of his ability and timing as he also moved past the 500-run mark for the season, before getting trapped in front of the wicket by Harshal Patel.
However, apart from conquering those little peaks the RR batters failed to slip into the top gear consistently.
