BJP offered me CM's post if I break AAP, says Manish Sisodia

New Delhi: Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Monday claimed that the BJP had offered him the chief minister's post if he broke the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

Addressing a press conference in Ahmedabad, Sisodia said he was surprised when someone came to him with a message that he has two offers from the BJP.

"The messenger said one was that all big cases registered against me by CBI-ED will be taken back. The other offer was that I break the party and they will make me chief minister," the AAP leader claimed. "I gave a clear answer to them. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is my political guru and I have learnt politics from him. I have not come into politics to be CM or PM," Sisodia said.

Earlier, in the day he claimed on Twitter that he got an offer to join the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and have all CBI and ED cases against him closed. 

He added that he declined the offer saying, "I am a Rajput, a descendant of Maharana Pratap. I will cut off my head but will not bow down in front of the corrupt conspirators. All the cases against me are false. Do whatever you want to do." Sisodia is among 15 people and entities named in an FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with alleged irregularities in the implementation of the Delhi excise policy.

The AAP leader's house was raided on Friday by the CBI over alleged corruption in the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22. AAP national convener Kejriwal and Sisodia on Monday arrived on a two-day visit to Gujarat, where the Assembly elections are due this year-end. During the visit, the two AAP leaders hold discussions on employment and education with youth ahead of the state. Continued from p1

Children of this generation should know about the greatness of Mahatma because freedom was not achieved in a simple manner, it was achieved after so many sacrifices, he said. Detailing various activities taken up by the government during the fortnight, he said programs were conducted every day, which led to a discussion on the Independence Movement in villages and towns. The chief minister complemented the Vajrotsavalu committee Chairman K Keshava Rao, and Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar for organising the fortnight programme in a grand manner. He said that two incidents had attracted him most and that includes mass recitation of Jana Gana Mana which was sung by about 1 crore people, which he said was a proud moment for Telangana. The second one was showcasing the film 'Gandhi' to the new generation, which was seen by 22 lakh children. He also thanked the artistes who took part in the celebrations during the last fortnight.