New Delhi: Manish Sisodia, seen by many as the mainstay of Aam Aadmi Party's government in Delhi and second-in-command of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, stepped down from his post today, saying he wishes to stay away till "the charges (against him) are proven false". Mr Sisodia's resignation came less than 48 hours after his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with the alleged liquor scam in Delhi.
In a three-page resignation letter, Mr Sisodia said while there could be more cases against him, the allegations are false. "These allegations are nothing more than a conspiracy of cowards and weak people... Their target is not me, their target is Arvind Kejriwal," he wrote.
"No one can force me to be corrupt... India's freedom fighters are my source of strength," he added, expressing faith that their "fight for truth will give us political strength... the blessings of lakhs of Delhi government school children, their parents and teachers are with me".
The other arrested minister of AAP to step down with Mr Sisodia was Satyendar Jain, who has been in jail for the last eight months on corruption charges.
Since Mr Jain's arrest, his portfolios were handled by Mr Sisodia, who was in charge of 18 government departments at the time of his arrest. His portfolios will be divided up between two of the four remaining ministers -- Kailash Gahlot and Raaj Kumar Anand -- for now, sources indicated.
AAP said the resignations were not an acceptance of guilt but a means of facilitating administration. Party sources said there will be no addition to the cabinet till the Delhi budget is presented next month.
Senior AAP leaders have suggested that the arrests of Mr Sisodia and Mr Jain were part of the BJP's attempt to target the portfolios that showcase its governance model. Mr Sisodia was the face of AAP's overhaul of the Delhi school system, that has made headlines at home and abroad.
"The two ministers worked with complete honesty and gave their all for the benefit of Delhi... They had important portfolios. Just so that Delhi's work is not hampered, they have resigned," said senior AAP leader Saurabh Bhardwaj.