He deserves Bharat Ratna, says Kejriwal on Sisodia as latter calls him his guru: 10 points

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal lauded Manish Sisodia for his excellent work in the field of education and said he deserves the Bharat Ratna for improving education standards in schools, but instead, he is being hounded by the Centre due to political motives.

Ahmedabad: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia are in Gujarat on a two-day visit during which the duo will discuss employment and education with youth ahead of the state Assembly polls due later this year. Kejriwal, the national convener of the Aam Aadmi Party and Sisodia, who is the education minister of Delhi, are in Gujarat amid a row over alleged irregularities in Delhi's excise policy and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registering an FIR against Sisodia.

Here are 10 points in this big story:

1. Kejriwal on Monday said that Sisodia deserves the Bharat Ratna for improving education standards in schools, but instead, he is being hounded by the Centre due to political motives.
2. On the other hand, Sisodia, who handles education among a host of other key portfolios, made a sensational claim, saying the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) offered him the chief minister's post if he split the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
3. The Delhi Chief Minister said The New York Times lauded their education model. However, instead of appreciating Sisodia, he is being targeted. Don't you feel ashamed to make the CBI conduct raids on a man who did wonders in five years, did what existing political parties could not do in 70 years and made government schools the best.
4. Kejriwal, who is also the AAP convener, also expressed apprehension that Sisodia may be arrested soon. Manish Sisodia may be arrested; who knows I may also be arrested. All this is being done in view of the Gujarat Assembly elections, he said. Kejriwal said the people of Gujarat are "sad" and are bearing the brunt of the "arrogance" of the BJP regime over the last 27 years in the state.
5. BJP, Kejriwal said, wanted to manipulate Delhi like other states, but their 'Operation Lotus' failed in Delhi. These raids were done only to topple the government of AAP in Delhi as they have done in other states, he said.
6. Defending the Delhi government's liquor policy, Kejriwal said they were forced to change it. A total 850 (liquor) shops had to open in Delhi. But only 350 shops could open, 500 shops could not open. The way the Centre and all agencies started pressuring our officers, they said no to auctioning new shops. The LG (Lieutenant Governor), police, and central agencies were putting pressure.
7. Sisodia, who is also visiting Gujarat, claimed the BJP offered him the chief minister's post if he broke the 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.
8. "The messenger said one was that all big cases registered against you by CBI-ED will be taken back. The other offer was that I break the party and they will make you chief minister, the AAP leader claimed. "I gave a clear political 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.
9. "I am an honest man. In fact, I am with the Arvind Kejriwal team because I am a kattar imandar (staunch honest) person. These fake cases are weak, and you can't threaten me with these," Sisodia said at the press conference.
10. Asked about the name of the persons who sent him the message, Sisodia said "The person who sent me message told me that he was behind making Suvendu Adhikari in West Bengal, Himanta Biswa Sarma in Assam, Narayan Rane and others join the BJP. He said I could trust him because he is the man who works on making people join the BJP." Sisodia, however, did not reveal the name of the messenger.