- 3 hours ago
A special court at Delhi's Rouse Avenue has discharged former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, and 20 others in the CBI case related to the Delhi excise policy.
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00:06Kejriwal's day of reckoning
00:11from key conspirator to discharged
00:16excise case crumbles in court
00:25Kejriwal claims political vindication
00:34court tears into CBI probe
00:40CBI case blows up in court
00:44discharged not acquitted claims BJP
00:49is this Kejriwal's moment of redemption
00:53top news makers on to the point
01:02well welcome you're watching to the point
01:04I'm Preeti Chaudhary all eyes today
01:06were at the Rouse Avenue Court
01:07what the Rouse Avenue Court and the judge
01:11did today was throw out practically
01:13what the excise case against the Ahmad
01:15the party and its top leadership in one
01:17go many would suggest legal experts would
01:20suggest discharge is even bigger than
01:23acquittal dismiss is even bigger than
01:26acquittal and the case against
01:28Arvind Kejriwal and the Ahmad
01:29the party where the liquor gate
01:31scandal controversy is concerned the
01:34case was thrown out on the charges of
01:36there was no overarching conspiracy all of
01:40that coming up first up allow me to take
01:41you to the headlines
01:46Delhi court discharges former Delhi chief
01:49minister Arvind Kejriwal and Manish
01:51Sisodia in liquor gate case cites lack of
01:53evidence Kejriwal asks prime minister
01:55Modi home minister Shah to apologize
01:57Delhi chief minister accuses ARP of
02:02manipulating evidence
02:08trouble mounts for TVK chief Vijay ahead of
02:11Tamil Nadu elections his wife files for
02:13divorce accuses Vijay of infidelity
02:15police says Vijay was involved in an
02:18extramarital affair with a fellow actor
02:23massive turn in Tamil Nadu political
02:26potboiler miffed with NDA OPS joins DMK
02:29Stalin inducts OPS in DMK BJP slams OPS
02:33calls him ungrateful
02:39amidst the Epstein files rouse center
02:42conducts an internal inquiry against
02:44union minister Hardeep Puri and finds no
02:46wrongdoing Congress has accused Puri of
02:48meeting child sex offender 14 times
02:55Pakistan declares open war against
02:57Afghanistan says will not compromise on
02:59territorial integrity Talan Pan claims
03:0219 border posts seized 55 soldiers killed
03:05US asks its citizen to not travel to
03:08Afghanistan
03:13India Canada hit reset on ties Canada
03:15prime minister Mike Carney arrives in
03:17Mumbai he's on a four-day visit to
03:19India high-stakes meet focus on people
03:21two-to-people times it's been over two
03:32years viewers that the Delhi excise policy
03:35the big liquor gate scam that was spoken
03:37very much in studios and outside
03:39dominated headlines at the back of which
03:42Arwin Kejriwa lost an election on the
03:44corruption taint which stemmed from the
03:46liquor gate scam in Delhi raids arrest
03:48courtroom dramas and relentless political
03:51fire today the Rouse Avenue court delivered
03:55a stinging setback to the prosecution and
03:58the CBI Arwin Kejriwa Manisha Sodia and
04:01others have been the case against them has
04:06been dismissed also what the court did was
04:09bring in the CBI questioned the investigating
04:12officer on why disciplinary action should not
04:15be taken against the CBI
04:17and the CBI
04:19and the CBI
04:29After the order of the court, this has been passed in front of the country.
04:33KGB-1 is a traitor.
04:46From tears in custody to tears of relief.
04:52From being branded the alleged conspirators of a multi-crore liquor scam
04:57to walking out of court, discharged.
05:01A dramatic collapse in one of the most politically explosive cases in recent memory.
05:09A special court at Delhi's Rouse Avenue has discharged
05:13former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Mani Sisodia and 20 others
05:18dismantling the CBS case point by point.
05:24And the language is unequivocal.
05:28No evidence of manipulation in policy formulation.
05:32Serious allegations lack material proof.
05:35The claim that Kejriwal was a central conspirator cannot be sustained.
05:39He appears to have been implicated largely because he was Chief Minister and party leader.
05:45A warning too that public confidence suffers when prosecutions proceed without solid proof.
05:50On Manish Sisodia, the findings are equally blunt.
05:53Prosecution case fails. Judicial scrutiny.
05:56No criminal intent established.
05:58The overarching conspiracy theory lacks force.
06:01Contradictions run through the prosecution narrative.
06:04No evidence against him in his capacity as minister.
06:08The court did not stop there.
06:10It questioned the very architecture of the investigation.
06:15A case built on conjecture and speculative constructs.
06:19Facts arranged to fit a predetermined conclusion.
06:22A narrative resting on fragmented circumstances.
06:25A methodology that risks investigative overreach.
06:29In effect, the prosecution collapses under its own weight.
06:37Outside the court, visible relief, folded hands, teary eyes.
06:41Kejriwal calls it vindication and alleges a sustained political witch hunt using central agencies.
06:52A police officer called this scholar.
07:02The court has a signal and avait named him for the investigation.
07:14I am saying that the president of the administration, Mr. Pradham,
07:26The BJP counter sharply insisting the legal battle is not over yet.
07:54The Congress has a different tack, attacking our army party as a convenient ally of the BJP, whose cases cool
08:00down at politically opportune moments.
08:04Arvind Kejriwal is an ally of convenience for the BJP.
08:08Here in this case, Mr. Arvind Kejriwal is now being prepared.
08:11He's been sent back into the washing machine.
08:13He's come out spick and span, freshly bathed, because there is an election coming in Punjab and Gujarat, where they
08:18want to use him against the Congress.
08:21Several India-Block allies close ranks.
08:23Akhle Shiaadav, Mahmubha Mufti and M.K. Stalin question what they call selective central agency action.
08:30And that brings us to the larger question.
08:33For years, the narrative was thunderous.
08:35Scam, conspiracy, kickpings.
08:37But in a court, volume does not matter.
08:40Evidence does.
08:41A judge has now said, the case could not withstand judicial scrutiny.
08:46For Kejriwal, it is a political oxygen.
08:49For the CBI, uncomfortable scrutiny.
08:51And for Indian democracy, a sobering reminder.
08:54State power can prosecute.
08:57Only proof can convict.
09:00Prishtishti Ojha, Ashutosh Mishra and Ashwarya Paliwal, Bureau Report, India Today.
09:14All right, news break coming in.
09:16The Delhi Chief Minister, Rekha Gupta, has reacted.
09:18Mind you, in the press conference, Arvind Kejriwal had said,
09:21hold elections today.
09:22I challenge you.
09:23The BJP will not win more than 10 seats.
09:26At the back of it, you have the Delhi Chief Minister, Ms. Rekha Gupta,
09:29are coming out suggesting the tears of Arvind Kejriwal right outside the Rao's Avenue court
09:34were crocodile tears.
09:35That he manipulated a lot of evidence.
09:38Why did they roll back the liquor policy invoking the Bayman Kejriwal attack?
09:43Chief Minister Gupta listed out allegations and the alleged scams under the armed Admi Party rule.
09:49Listen in.
10:19I would like to ask them some questions. If they were right, then as soon as they started their policy,
10:30they would withdraw their own policy.
10:31If they were right, then why would they say that if they were right, if they were right, if they
10:45were right, if they were right,
10:48then why would they say that if they were right, then why would they say that if they were right?
11:06All of this, viewers, comes at a time where many had already written political obituaries where Arvind Kejriwal was concerned,
11:13leave alone the national capital, that the Amadmi Party would not even be able to hold on to Punjab.
11:20So for the party, for the top leadership, what happened today in the Rouse Avenue court is an unexpected shot
11:27in the arm.
11:27I can tell you because I was talking to sources within the Amadmi Party this morning,
11:31the top leadership was only formulating what would be the defence of the Amadmi Party if charges are framed and
11:38the case goes to trial
11:40because the Amadmi Party thought very clearly that at least the case will go to trial and, as per procedure,
11:48charges will be framed.
11:49Now, what happens in the case, once the case is heard over time, remains to be seen.
11:54I can tell you for sure, when I spoke to my sources within the Amadmi Party,
11:58the top leadership was stunned when the verdict came in from the Rouse Avenue court.
12:04Let me break it down because there are two aspects of it and I have with me two ace editors
12:09and reporters
12:10who are going to break it down for us, one who was at the Rouse Avenue court and the other
12:13viewers
12:14because this is an indictment of the CBI as well because the court today, the Rouse Avenue court today,
12:21also said that there needs to be a probe against the investigating CBI officer,
12:26that the entire case was premeditated and choreographed.
12:31So what does it really mean? Because the enforcement directorate case also rests on the CBI case.
12:37I want to bring in my colleague Munish Pandey and Shrishti Oja.
12:41Munish, I'm going to cut across to Shrishti first because all the action unfolded this morning
12:45at the Rouse Avenue court and Shrishti to bring you in, break it down for us on what happened in
12:51court today,
12:52which clearly has left to a seismic shift in Delhi politics and also the image of Arvind Kejriwal
12:59because for him, this was his moment of reckoning. He has come out and said everything,
13:05all the charges against me, my time in jail, my five ministers in jail,
13:09me being forced to step down as a sitting chief minister, being thrown in jail,
13:14Atishi coming in, my party disintegrating, all was choreographed and so I could lose the Delhi election.
13:26Well, Priti, firstly on lines of what you just said, I would like to point out that somebody who covers
13:30courts on a daily basis,
13:32I would like to say that for the order that has come in from Delhi's Rouse Avenue court today was
13:38not unexpected
13:39because we see this happen on a daily basis where there's a certain perception that we see being framed around
13:46certain allegations in cases
13:48but what the court ends up pronouncing is completely different because the court's order is not based on the political
13:55perception
13:56or the perception in the public in general. It's based on the evidence and the material before them.
14:03At times, the prosecution just doesn't have the evidence to prove the serious allegations that they have made.
14:10Again, as somebody who has covered the Delhi excise policy case since the beginning,
14:15starting from Ahmadi party leader Manisa Sodhya's arrest and we also know also what happened post that with multiple leaders
14:22being put behind the bars, spending years, spending months, even Manisa Sodhya spending over a year behind the bars.
14:29One thing that we can say very, very clearly is that it is definitely a day for the Ahmadi party
14:33and its leaders to celebrate
14:35and I say that because we have seen them face orders which were not favourable for them.
14:41Today, we have a court, a court of law, very clearly stating that the Delhi excise policy scam as the
14:47CBI needy called it,
14:50have been calling it since 2021 was maybe not a scam at all.
14:55The word scam has been associated with Ahmadi party's Delhi excise policy 2021-22 since 2021.
15:03But the court today said that there's absolutely no evidence that has been placed before the court
15:08to even say that the excise policy was in any way manipulated, altered, changed to benefit any individual
15:15or to benefit the South lobby as has been claimed by the investigating agency.
15:19You know, it's huge, Srishti, I want to go to two things I want to quickly ask you to summarise
15:24for us before I go to Manish.
15:25You know, number one, with what you say, what happened is quite unprecedented, you know, in the manner,
15:31in the kind of manner in which the judgment was given.
15:34But number one, Srishti, has it ever happened where the courts have directly, practically indicted a central agency
15:40where they said that action needs to be taken against and a probe needs to be mounted against the CBI
15:45officer
15:46because this seemed to be a premeditated choreographed event to corner a political party, number one.
15:53And number two, you know, Srishti, encapsulate for us because many are looking at it,
15:59oh, the case has been dismissed.
16:01But in, you know, regular legal parlance, isn't a dismissal of case even bigger than an acquittal of a case?
16:13I will answer your second question first, Srishti.
16:15Definitely, a discharge at this case is definitely big because the court very clearly didn't even think it to be
16:22a fit case to proceed further with the trial.
16:25When we talk about a case of conviction or acquittal, that happens after the case has been through trial.
16:31The court sees at least there is prime of a sigh on the face of it, some evidence to put
16:35the accused through trial.
16:37In this particular case, the court has very clearly said that the CBI hasn't even been able to put forth
16:43evidence before court
16:44to even put the accused in this case being Manish Sasodia, Arvind Kejriwal and several others.
16:50They should not be put through a trial also.
16:54It's very rare, it's very rare that we see discharges happening at the stage of, at a pre-trial stage
17:00itself.
17:01In this case, trial hadn't even started.
17:04The court did not even think it a fit case to frame charges against the accused.
17:08That is how less the evidence that was produced by the prosecution agency in this case.
17:16As far as, if we discuss the fact that this doesn't happen very rarely, that the court questions the investigating
17:22officers.
17:23Of course, we see from lower courts to the top court, the Supreme Court, they often question the investigation in
17:28cases,
17:29the investigating officers in these cases.
17:31But, the remarks that have come in from Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court today definitely are concerning.
17:39We do not see this happen very often.
17:41To order a departmental inquiry against the CBI's investigating officer in a case of this nature.
17:48Because, let's admit it, Preeti, this wasn't an ordinary case.
17:52We were talking about a case where the accused were not just political leaders.
17:56We were talking about a sitting chief minister, a sitting deputy CM being arrested, being put behind bars.
18:02So, of course, the seriousness of the case increased, not because politics is involved,
18:06because sitting officers who were holding public offices were involved.
18:10And that's exactly what the court said today, Preeti.
18:12So, it seems to be that public confidence in agencies would be eroded if prosecution would make serious allegations against
18:20those holding public offices,
18:21but won't be able to produce material to support their allegations.
18:25Even earlier, you know, one can remember when, you know, you had Justice Sanjeev Khanna,
18:29who had gone and said and warned the CBI then that your case will not even stand trial.
18:34I just want to go back to that statement that was made.
18:36And today, it's all come full circle with the Rouse Avenue court discharging the case, dismissing the case,
18:41not even saying that it's worth a trial.
18:44I want to bring in my colleague Munish Pandey into this conversation.
18:48Munish, what implications could it really have?
18:49Because the Enforcement Directorate's case is mounted on this very case.
18:55Well, Preeti, there is no doubt that it's a major setback for the Central Bureau of Investigation.
18:59It is not only about discharging the 23 accused, a case which was being billed by the Central Bureau of
19:05Investigation,
19:05and the Enforcement Directorate parallelly from last five years.
19:09The case has been demolished by the lower court.
19:13But, you know, the observations made by the lower court against the Central Bureau of Investigation,
19:20their investigation and their officers, the allegations are very grave in nature.
19:25The court has gone on to an extent of saying that CBI was trying to set narrative in this case.
19:31In, while hearing the case, you know, in case of Deputy Excise Commissioner,
19:37then Deputy Excise Commissioner Kuldeep Singh,
19:39the court said that, I don't know why you have been made accused in the case.
19:43There is no evidence against you.
19:45Same was in the case of Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Isodhya.
19:49So now, there are two things.
19:52The entire ED case is dependent on the Central Bureau of Investigation's case.
19:57The Enforcement Directorate started their money laundering investigation based on the CBI FIR.
20:03CBI filed a charge sheet.
20:04Parallelly, the Enforcement Directorate filed a charge sheet.
20:06In both the cases, the evidence, the material evidence, the accused, almost everything is same.
20:13So if the CBI case falls flat, it will have implications on the Enforcement Directorate case also.
20:20So there are two things.
20:21One is a face-saving exercise for the Central Bureau of Investigation
20:26because the observations are grave in nature.
20:29And that is why CBI has been maintaining that they are still confident
20:32that they have given enough evidence before the court.
20:35The court has not appreciated the evidence given by the Central Bureau of Investigation.
20:40And most of the evidence have been ignored.
20:42And that is why they have already approached the High Court in this case.
20:46And second, there will be pressure from the Enforcement Directorate also that this case,
20:52you know, the lower court order should be stayed by the High Court
20:56so that the Enforcement Directorate can at least proceed with their trial in this case.
21:01But it is going to be very challenging, Priti, because in most of the cases,
21:04what we have seen, if there is a legal hurdle, if there is an observation by the lower court,
21:10it becomes extremely difficult for any prosecuting agency to come out of it
21:15and, you know, file a fresh charge sheet or, you know, change the narrative of the case.
21:21But Munish, I want to ask you very quickly because, you know,
21:23because there is a political line in this as well.
21:26Many today, till date, keep recalling the caged parrot jibe at the CBI.
21:31Today is a day of reckoning for our central agencies as well, especially the CBI is concerned,
21:38where the top court today has practically said that there needs to be a departmental inquiry
21:42against the investigating officer of the CBI because it seems that the entire case was choreographed.
21:50Absolutely, Priti.
21:51And, you know, time and again, there have been observations not only by the top court,
21:57but also by the lower court.
21:58And in most of the high-profile cases, what we have seen that CBI cases fall flat.
22:04Remember, 2G case, the, you know, the entire political scenario was made that
22:09it's the biggest scam of the country.
22:11But when the order came from the lower court, the entire case, you know, was demolished by the court.
22:17Same way in this case also, what I have been saying with the full authority here is that,
22:23you know, Priti, it is going to be a face-saving exercise for the Central Bureau of Investigation
22:28because the remarks made by the lower court in this case against the Central Bureau of Investigation,
22:35their own officer, it is grave in nature.
22:38CBI, of course, will approach the high court.
22:40It has already approached the high court.
22:41We are hearing that there is a high possibility that the hearing will take place tomorrow
22:46and then only CBI will ensure that there has to be a departmental inquiry or not.
22:52But there will be a legal battle by the CBI to make sure that the order of lower court
22:58is either state or reverse so that there is some face-saving exercise for the Central Bureau of Investigation
23:05and also for the Enforcement Directorate in the future.
23:08Well, I appreciate both of you for joining us.
23:10Like I said, viewers, today, you know, at least the Central Agencies are concerned.
23:14It is a day of reckoning for the CBI and Central Agencies
23:17because what the Rouse Avenue Court has said today is damning and damaging
23:23for what is the perception of investigative agencies in the country.
23:29I want to quickly cut across right now and listen in to the former Deputy Chief Minister,
23:34Manish Tasodia, who stayed in jail for over a year and a half.
23:39His passport was taken, his wife was ailing, she's suffering from a serious illness.
23:43I spoke both to Manish Tasodia and his wife.
23:47For him, he says, it's come full circle because strangely, a bit of surrender pity, I would reckon,
23:52that three years ago, on the same date, 27th January, he was arrested.
24:04Manish Jee, Seema Ji, it's been a great day today.
24:07It's been a great day.
24:08It's been a great day, Manish Jee.
24:10How big a day is this?
24:11It's been a great day.
24:34Being a man.
24:39It was a great day.
25:04Manish Ji, you know, they say in English it's come full circle.
25:13He was telling me right before that exactly three years ago, on 26th, 26th, 26th February.
25:23You are right, it's like a circle.
25:31CBI has arrested me on 26th February, and on 27th February, he was standing in the same court.
25:40And on 27th February, 26th, he was standing in the same place where I was standing in the same place.
25:48He said that this is the whole story.
25:50It's not the whole story.
25:51It's not the whole story.
25:52It's not the whole story.
25:52It's not the whole story.
25:54It was the whole story.
26:36It's not the whole story.
26:36It's not the whole story.
26:36It's not the whole story.
27:02Thank you very much.
27:32Thank you very much.
27:54Thank you very much.
28:37Thank you very much.
28:46Thank you very much.
29:27Thank you very much.
29:38Thank you very much.
30:18Thank you very much.
31:01Thank you very much.
31:09Thank you very much.
31:44Thank you very much.
31:50Thank you very much.
32:25Thank you very much.
37:52You were the front for the party, you were the chief minister then, your entire top brass
37:57was arrested.
38:01Do you think somewhere down the line that possibly the reason for your loss could also be attributed
38:09to the perceptional loss, which slowly, slowly, slowly, because you were an anti-corruption
38:16party, you are considered to be different.
38:20So, what perceptional loss you had to pay through the loss electorally in Delhi?
38:49You are saying you actually paid the price, that you have paid the price?
38:52Of perceptional loss?
38:54Yes.
38:55So, when BJP once again, once again, once again, when BJP once again, once again, when BJP
39:01came to the press conference, when BJP came to the press conference, the people who
39:07didn't know the technicality of PMLA.
39:09They said it was the case of the press conference, that they had a sign of the press conference.
39:16They received the approval of it.
39:32the order of the court is only one.
39:34But today the order of court has this.
39:37It has been hard for God's house.
39:42Today, the order of the court has two things
39:46that are in the whole country.
39:49One, the BJP's power and the other,
39:53the power of the ability and the ability of the authority.
40:01The opposition had come together on the plank that there has been a misuse of central agencies and it's a
40:10witch hunt by central agencies.
40:11Why is Congress standing with you today? Because they are saying that they are saying that they are standing with
40:20you today.
40:20That they are saying that the police have been seeing, that the police have been seeing, and there is no
40:31evidence in this country.
40:34We are asking for an agreement that the police have just seen.
40:36This state has been saying that the police have been seeing the police, and the people have seen the police.
40:42party рдХреЛ рдкрд░рд┐рд╢рд╛рди рдХрд┐рдпрд╛ рдЧрдпрд╛ рдЖрдЬ рдпреЗ рдкреВрд░рд╛ рджреЗрд╢ рджреЗрдЦ рд░рд╣рд╛ рд╣реИ рдФрд░ рдЖрдЬ рдпреЗ рдкреВрд░рд╛ рджреЗрд╢ рджреЗрдЦ рд░рд╣рд╛ рд╣реИ
40:48рдХрд┐
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40:58to tell them that this case has been discharged. рдпреЗ case discharged рд╣реЛ рдЪреБрдХрд╛ рд╣реИ рдФрд░
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41:09рдХреНрдпрд╛ рдЕрдм рдЖрдк рд▓реЛрдЧ рдмреЛрд▓ рд░рд╣реЗ рд╣реЛ рдХрд┐ рдЬреИрд╕реЗ рдЖрдкрдиреЗ рдмреЛрд▓рд╛ рдХрд┐ рдЕрдЧрд░ рд╣рд┐рдореНрдордд рд╣реИ рддреЛ рдЖрдЬ рдХреА
41:13date рдореЗрдВ рдЪреБрдирд╛рдл рдХрд░рдХреЗ рджрд┐рдЦрд╛рдУ рддреЛ рдХреНрдпрд╛ рдкреНрд░рддрд┐рдХреНрд░рд┐рдпрд╛ рд░рд╣реЗ рд╣реИрдВ рджреЗрдЦрд┐рдП рдореИрдВ рддреЛ BJP
41:16рд╡рд╛рд▓реЛрдВ рдХреЛ рдХрд╣реВрдВрдЧреА рдореЛрджреА рдЬреА рдХреЛ рднреА рдХрд╣реВрдВрдЧреА рджреЗрд╢ рдореЗрдВ рдмрд╣реБрдд рд╕рдорд╕реНрдпрд╛ рдЖрдП рд╣реИ рджрд┐рд▓реНрд▓реА рдореЗрдВ рдЗрддрдирд╛
41:24pollution рд╣реИ рджрд┐рд▓реНрд▓реА рдореЗрдВ рдкрд╛рдиреА рдХреЗ рдкреАрдиреЗ рдХреЗ рдкрд╛рдиреА рдХреА рдЗрддрдиреА рд╕рдорд╕реНрдпрд╛ рд╣реИ рд▓реЛрдЧреЛрдВ рдХреЗ рдШрд░реЛрдВ рдореЗрдВ
41:30рд╕реАрд╡рд░ рдХрд╛ рдкрд╛рдиреА рдЖ рд░рд╣рд╛ рд╣реИ рдирд▓рдХреЗ рд╕реЗ рд╣рдордиреЗ рджреЗрдЦрд╛ рд╣реИ рдХрд┐ рдХрд┐рд╕ рддрд░рд╣ рдХреЗ рджреЗрд╢реЗ рдЕрд▓рдЧ рд▓рдЧ рд╣рд┐рд╕реНрддреЛрдВ рдореЗрдВ
41:34рдореМрдд рд╣реЛ рдЧрдИ рд╣реИ рд╕реАрд╡рд░ рдХреЗ рдкрд╛рдиреА рдХреЗ рдпреЗ рд╡рдЬрд╝рд╛ рд╕реЗ рдЖрдЬ рджрд┐рд▓реНрд▓реА
42:00It's going to be a good holi for you?
42:02Yes, definitely.
42:03Have a good one.
42:06All right, I want to cut across right now to Mr. Pradeep Bhandari.
42:10He's a Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson.
42:11He was very, very active, very, very vocal,
42:14especially during the times of Delhi elections,
42:16where, Pradeep, welcome to the show.
42:19The entire campaign of the BJP during elections
42:22was built on the tarnished image and corrupt image of Arvind Kejriwal.
42:28What has happened today is exemplary
42:30because on one end, the judge has said
42:32he doesn't even think this case had the merit to go to trial.
42:36It is the day of reckoning,
42:38not just, Pradeep, for investigating agencies like CBI,
42:42which have been indicted and what the verdict was today
42:45from the Rouse Avenue court, but also your party
42:47because you built an entire campaign
42:50on the rhetoric of Bhrashtachar and Amadmi Party.
42:57Well, Preeti, on May 9, 2017,
43:01the Honourable Supreme Court revived the order of the lower court
43:05which quashed the fodder scam trial against Lalu Prasad Yadav.
43:08Before 2017, it was Tejashtri Yadav and the RJD
43:11which claimed that Lalu Prasad Yadav was honest in
43:13and did not commit any act of corruption in the fodder scam.
43:17You had the Honourable Supreme Court intervening
43:19and completely changing it.
43:21In the Jessica Lal case, if you recall,
43:23even the lower court had passed that there should be no case
43:26and you had the higher judiciary intervening.
43:28This is not for the first time.
43:29And if you recall, even in the case of
43:31K. Polmamodi, a disproportionate asset case,
43:35it was the lower court which said that
43:36the Tamil Nadu education minister was innocent.
43:38He had not committed any act of corruption.
43:41The trial court in 2016 acquitted it.
43:43Madras High Court in December 2023
43:45framed the charges, overturned it,
43:47and he was sentenced to three years of imprisonment.
43:50In the court of public opinion,
43:51when Mr. Kejriwal went saying that he's honest,
43:54even in Haryana, which you covered very minutely,
43:57and in Delhi, both of them,
43:58Arvind Kejriwal in one got lesser votes than nota
44:01and in Delhi, he was ousted out of power
44:03despite being in power for 15 years.
44:05So whether it is court of public opinion
44:06or the court of legal opinion
44:08where he was rejected bail multiple times,
44:10the courts have been very clear.
44:11On this particular case,
44:12I believe the CBI has already filed
44:14an intervention appeal in the high court
44:16and we should wait for the judgment
44:18of the high court or the order of the high court.
44:20This is just the lower court
44:21making an opinion and a judgment.
44:25But Pradeep, that's the premise
44:26of this judgment and verdict today
44:28with the case being discharged,
44:29not even fit for trial
44:30as per the Rouse Avenue court.
44:32That would mean that the premise in the people's court
44:36was vitiated on propaganda which seemed to suggest
44:40that this party and the leadership was corrupt.
44:43And now the court was saying
44:46that there was no corruption.
44:47It was orchestrated.
44:48It was choreographed against them.
44:50And you're quoting that, yes,
44:51you know, the CBI has gone to the high court
44:54and you're quoting various examples
44:56that where lower court verdicts
44:57have been overturned by high courts.
44:59Now, you can't have it both ways
45:01because Pradeep, when Arvind Kejriwal
45:04was given bail by the Supreme Court
45:06at that time, the BJP spokespersons
45:09and the BJP had quoted
45:10what the Rouse Avenue court said.
45:12Today, the Rouse Avenue court has come out
45:14and said all of this was choreographed.
45:20Well, I believe that as we speak already,
45:23the CBI as an investigative agency
45:25has filed an appeal in the high court.
45:26So, if tomorrow, hypothetically,
45:28the high court stays the order of the lower court,
45:30I believe that we will be back to square zero.
45:34On the part of we quoting the Rouse Avenue,
45:36we quoted the Rouse Avenue court
45:37when the Rouse Avenue court's opinion
45:39was complemented by the Honorable Delhi High Court.
45:41And if you recall,
45:42whether it is on 5th June 2024
45:44or the 25th June 2024,
45:46or even in the matter as went to the Supreme Court,
45:48there has been repeated rejection of bail plea
45:50and observations which said that
45:52prime officie, it's an act of corruption.
45:54So, I would say that I would rather believe
45:56in the Honorable High Court
45:57and the higher judiciary
45:58than just relying on the judgment
46:00of a single judge of a Rouse Avenue court
46:01when that particular judgment
46:03has already been challenged in the High Court.
46:06Well, Pradeep, thank you
46:07for taking the time out and joining us
46:09because ultimately, you know,
46:10you're saying you'd believe
46:11what the Rouse Avenue court,
46:13the High Court will say,
46:14but at time you've quoted the Rouse Avenue court.
46:16Well, right now,
46:17the case might have been approached
46:20where the CBI is concerned,
46:21where the High Court comes into question,
46:23but right now, legally,
46:25where Arvind K. Jriwal
46:26and many members of his political party,
46:28including Manisha Soudi,
46:29are concerned,
46:30the case against them was discharged.
46:32It did not even have the merit
46:34to stand trial
46:35as per the Rouse Avenue court,
46:38making it very clear
46:40that there was not a shred of evidence
46:42and also indicting
46:43the investigating officer of the CBI,
46:46suggesting that there be a probe,
46:48a departmental probe against him
46:50as this entire probe
46:52was premeditated and choreographed.
46:54I'm joined right now
46:55by Mr. Nagendra Sharma,
46:57senior journalist.
46:58We also have him in the capacity.
47:00Nagendra Sharma was one of the,
47:03or rather the first political advisor
47:04of Arvind K. Jriwal.
47:06Nagendra Sharma,
47:07appreciate you taking the time out
47:08and joining us this evening.
47:10Very quickly, Mr. Sharma,
47:11so many political obituaries
47:13have been written on Arvind K. Jriwal
47:15after his loss,
47:16after the perceptional loss
47:18in his image
47:18because his party was said
47:20to be different,
47:20built on the tenets
47:21of anti-corruption
47:22and then, you know,
47:24tarnished by the charge of corruption.
47:26It's come full circle for him.
47:28How do you read
47:28the developments today?
47:32Well, PTC,
47:34though, you know,
47:35political pundits
47:36and analysts are free
47:37to write political obituaries
47:39and this country
47:40has had a very interesting,
47:41you know, political journey,
47:42but when it comes
47:44to Aam Admi Party,
47:45this, you know,
47:46youngest national political party
47:48of the country,
47:48its trajectory
47:49has been a bit different.
47:50The orbit has been written
47:51many times.
47:52If you recollect
47:53that after the 49-day government
47:55and after the Lok Sabha elections
47:57when they got only four seats
47:59and lost security deposits
48:01in more than 400 seats
48:02across the country in Lok Sabha,
48:04that time,
48:04the first political orbit
48:05was written
48:06and if you recollect
48:07that eight, nine-month period
48:09every day,
48:10there used to be news reports
48:11that three to four MLAs
48:13might be switching over
48:14to BJP,
48:14BJP might be forming
48:16a government,
48:16but then came the 2015
48:18Delhi-Vidhan Sabha elections
48:20and as they say,
48:22rest is history.
48:23Yes, you're right
48:24that last three, four years,
48:27particularly ever since
48:28Vinay Saxena
48:29was appointed
48:30the Delhi Lieutenant Governor
48:31and the stories
48:33about so-called Delhi
48:35liquor scams
48:36started trickling in.
48:37That was the,
48:38that according to me,
48:39has been the most difficult period
48:41for this party.
48:42Then came the,
48:44obviously,
48:44the arrests
48:45of the top leadership
48:46which Arvin K. Girival
48:48referred to
48:48in his press conference also,
48:50followed by the debacle
48:53in the Delhi-Vidhan Sabha elections
48:54and now,
48:56when it was seeming
48:57as if,
48:58you know,
48:58they are bound,
48:59they are entrapped
49:01by number of cases,
49:03then being in opposition
49:06in Delhi,
49:06out of media.
49:08yes,
49:09at a time
49:09when it was looking
49:10that this party
49:12is at crossroads,
49:13certainly today's development
49:14is a very big development.
49:16Okay.
49:17But Mr. Sharma,
49:18you know,
49:19if you saw the press conference
49:20of Arvind K. Girival,
49:21there was a hint
49:21of vintage combative
49:22Arvind K. Girival
49:23possibly re-energized
49:24with an unexpected
49:26shot in the arm,
49:27you know,
49:28by the Rouse Avenue
49:29court today.
49:29What do you see
49:30ahead for him?
49:31Because they have
49:32elections to fight,
49:34you have a Punjab
49:34in one year,
49:35they are making inroads
49:36in Gujarat
49:37or hoping to make inroads
49:38in Gujarat
49:39as well as Goa.
49:43Well,
49:44absolutely.
49:45See,
49:46the journey forward
49:47for Arma Admi Party
49:48despite today's
49:49shot in the arm
49:50is not an easy journey.
49:52The first battle
49:53that will come
49:53is Punjab
49:55because that is
49:57the full-fledged state
49:58that they control
50:00they have
50:01successfully
50:02they will be completing
50:03a five-year term
50:04hopefully
50:05and see
50:06that is the only
50:07state where
50:07they are in power.
50:09BJP
50:10at the moment
50:11doesn't appear
50:11to be that big
50:12a threat in Punjab.
50:14The
50:16vitriol
50:16that you are seeing
50:17between Congress
50:18and Arma Admi Party
50:19even today
50:20amongst the
50:21non-BJP parties
50:22Congress is the only
50:23party which has
50:24taken an adversarial
50:25stand even on
50:26the court verdict.
50:27So Punjab
50:28will be
50:29Congress
50:29and Arma Admi Party
50:30will be
50:31facing each other
50:32will be
50:33taking each other
50:34head on.
50:35That is the first
50:36battle for
50:36Arvin K. Jirwal
50:37and Arma Admi Party.
50:38Obviously Goa elections
50:40will happen with Punjab
50:41and then obviously
50:42where they have been
50:43concentrating their energies
50:44a lot
50:45that is Gujarat
50:45which comes
50:46at the end of 2027.
50:48According to me
50:49the first
50:51and the biggest
50:52challenge
50:53which could
50:53actually determine
50:54the way ahead
50:56or which could
50:57actually determine
50:57the political
50:58fortunes of
50:59Arma Admi Party
50:59is the Punjab
51:00election.
51:02All right we're
51:02going to leave it
51:03at that Mr. Sharma.
51:03Thank you for
51:04joining us this
51:05evening because we're
51:05going to end the
51:06show but all eyes
51:08right now tomorrow
51:09because word has it
51:10that you will have
51:11the CBI approach
51:12the High Court
51:13and seek a stay
51:14on the order
51:15today that was
51:16passed.
51:17But if you go by
51:18what the order
51:19was passed today
51:20by the Rouse Avenue
51:20Court and the
51:21verdict it is stunning
51:22because somewhere
51:23down the line
51:24this was a sitting
51:26chief minister
51:26who was taken
51:27into arrest
51:28his political
51:29party completely
51:30disintegrating
51:32they lost Delhi
51:33and lost
51:34bigger than
51:36anything else
51:36the tenets on
51:37which it was
51:38built on
51:38anti-corruption
51:39the image
51:40tarnished with
51:41the taint
51:42of corruption
51:43all of that
51:44today coming
51:44full circle
51:45where you have
51:46the court which
51:46says that
51:47leave alone
51:48you know
51:49evidence
51:50the case is not
51:51even fit to go
51:52to trial
51:52the case is
51:53discharged
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