Manish Sisodia, who was the Deputy CM in the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government, was in jail for 17 months in the liquor scam. The former Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, who came out of jail on bail after 17 months, is in active mode. As soon as he came out, Sisodia held a meeting with the senior leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party at his residence. Sisodia is now going to start a padyatra to reach out to the people of Delhi. Before the start of the padyatra, Manish Sisodia answered questions frankly in an interview given to Aaj Tak, from preparations for the Delhi elections to alliance and future plans.
Will the former Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi become the Deputy Chief Minister again? On this question, Sisodia, referring to the unity of party leaders and workers, said that it makes one proud to see this. Would you like to join the government? In response to this, Manish Sisodia said that he can, but I am in no hurry about it. He said that I am not in such a hurry that I have just come out and should immediately join the government. Sisodia said that right now I am in a hurry because the workers who are coming to meet me, they all want to come to my assembly today, meet the people in our assembly. Arvind Kejriwal will also come out soon, then we will take a decision after that.
He said that if I had returned in a month or two, I would have been in a hurry to continue. Now I see that the work that I had left behind is being continued. That is why there is no hurry. Sisodia said that when the Chief Minister also comes out, then the party leadership will decide what I have to do, whether to work by joining the government or to start campaigning for the elections. He said that all of us are sensible people. It is not that if I said this, then why did I say it. If I will be asked to start campaigning, then I love that.
Manish Sisodia, on being asked about the flag controversy and constitutional crisis, government crisis, said that LG sahab’s image has become such that he tries to stop every work. He threatens the officers. LG has been threatening the officers for one and a half years that if funds are given to the water board, then you will see. He said that work gets done but it has to be done by fighting. LG also created hurdles in mohalla clinics and doorstep ration delivery. Sisodia claimed that the party’s image has improved in the eyes of the public. People are saying that it is not breaking at all.
If the party’s image was so good, why did it not get votes in the Lok Sabha elections? On this question, Manish Sisodia said that the public goes with a different mindset in the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections. The people of Delhi give so much love in the Vidhan Sabha elections, why do they not vote in the Lok Sabha elections. We will have to introspect on this. We are making a mistake somewhere in understanding this. But if we look at it in connection with the popularity of Arvind Kejriwal, then we will also have to see that we did not get votes in 2014, got bumper votes in 2015. Did not get votes in 2019 and got bumper votes in 2020. On the questions arising about Aam Aadmi Party becoming a weak link in the India Block, he said that we will have to see the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections separately. The public’s mindset was that the dictatorship of BJP has to be defeated and we did defeat it.
On the question of Congress’s different stance in Delhi and Punjab and alliance in Delhi elections, he said that right now I am not in a position to say anything. The leaders will decide after seeing the situation at that time. Sisodia said that there is a crisis of dictatorship in the country. Notices are being given to opposition parties. Arvind Kejriwal is in jail, Hemant Soren was put in jail. People of Sharad Pawar’s party were broken by threatening them. Tomorrow Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi will be put in jail. He said that if dictatorship continues like this, then every party is in danger. Traders across the country are also getting ED notices. Those who have given donations, their notices are pending. Talk to lawyers, how ED has harassed small traders.
Manish Sisodia said that everyone will have to fight unitedly against this dictatorship. Today, if the entire opposition stands united, Kejriwal will come out within 24 hours. After this, he will not dare to issue notice to anyone. Describing the Lok Sabha elections as an experiment, he said that we formed an alliance in Delhi with mutual consent and did not do so in Punjab. This was the story of a different election. Sisodia said that different elections have a different story. On the question of change in the Aam Aadmi Party, he said that change is necessary. When stability comes, the party will rot.
The former Deputy CM of Delhi said that we lost three elections back to back and won three elections in Delhi. After coming out of jail, we have talked to many leaders of India Block. This role is being handled by other leaders of our party. He said that right now my role is to prepare the party for the Delhi elections and I am doing my work.
Source (PTI) (NDTV) (HINDUSTANTIMES)