Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Health Minister Satyendar Jain have resigned from their cabinet positions. Their resignations came after the Supreme Court Bench, led by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud, refused to intervene in Sisodia’s arrest in the Delhi excise policy case.
The apex court asked Sisodia to “avail alternative remedies,” meaning he would have to move the High Court first. Sisodia had moved the apex court against his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Sisodia is currently on a five-day CBI remand in the case. A special Delhi court ordered the remand to allow the agency to get “genuine and legitimate” answers from him for “a proper and fair investigation.”
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has accepted the resignations of both ministers. The Delhi government has yet to announce any replacements for the vacant positions in the cabinet.
The arrest and resignation of Sisodia, a prominent figure in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), have caused a stir in the political landscape of Delhi. The AAP has been critical of the central government’s use of the CBI for political purposes and has accused the agency of selectively targeting opposition leaders.
