NEW DELHI, March 9: AAP MP Sanjay Singh launched a scathing attack on the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday, describing the Delhi High Court’s refusal to stay a lower court discharge order as a “big disappointment” for the agency in the contentious Delhi excise policy case involving former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and ex-Deputy CM Manish Sisodia.
“HC not staying order of Delhi court must be a big disappointment for CBI,” Singh declared, reacting to the High Court’s directive seeking detailed responses from Kejriwal and Sisodia on the CBI’s urgent plea challenging their discharge from the alleged liquor scam probe. The lower trial court’s decision to discharge the AAP leaders had already sparked celebrations within the party’s ranks, with Singh framing it as a vindication against what he called politically motivated persecution.
The excise policy case, which alleges irregularities in the now-scrapped 2021-22 liquor licensing regime, has been a flashpoint in Delhi’s cutthroat political arena. AAP accuses the BJP-led Centre of weaponizing probe agencies like CBI and ED to cripple opposition voices ahead of key electoral battles. The High Court’s measured approach—opting to hear all sides rather than granting an immediate stay—has fueled AAP’s narrative of judicial impartiality prevailing over investigative overreach.
This latest courtroom twist intensifies the AAP-BJP slugfest, directly echoing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent broadside against AAP’s governance model in Delhi. During a public rally, Modi had lambasted the outgoing AAP regime as embodying “less work-more excuses,” crediting BJP’s takeover with accelerating infrastructure and development projects across the national capital. AAP leaders, in turn, have dismissed these claims as electoral posturing, pointing to their decade-long tenure’s achievements in education, healthcare, and free utilities.
The political heat in Delhi coincides with broader national turbulence. Parliament’s Lok Sabha was adjourned until 3 PM amid raucous opposition protests demanding a debate on the West Asia crisis, where Union Minister Kiren Rijiju condemned the disruptions while reaffirming the government’s readiness to discuss the issue. The Iran-Israel escalation—including Israeli strikes on Tehran’s oil depots, Iran’s alleged attacks on UAE and Bahrain’s infrastructure like desalination plants, and the martyrdom of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei—has sent global oil prices soaring past $119 per barrel, evoking fears of 2022-level inflation spikes.
In Jammu and Kashmir, former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s visit to the Iranian Embassy to offer condolences and raise the plight of stranded Kashmiri students underscores the conflict’s domestic ripples. With Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba, now named Iran’s new Supreme Leader, regional solidarity gestures continue amid phased student evacuations, as confirmed by Foreign Secretary Misri. Domestically, J&K marks normalcy with schools reopening across the Kashmir Valley post-three-month winter break, while celebrations linger over India’s demolition of New Zealand for a historic third T20 World Cup title.
Analysts view the excise case developments as more than legal maneuvers; they signal escalating pre-poll jockeying in Delhi, where governance records and corruption allegations dominate discourse. As the High Court lists the matter for further hearing, AAP’s Sanjay Singh vowed to fight “till the end,” positioning the party as victims of a larger BJP strategy to sideline rivals. With oil market volatility threatening household budgets and Parliament in disarray, these intertwined political-legal battles highlight India’s multifaceted challenges on March 9, 2026.
