In the Delhi Feedback Unit (FBU) snooping case, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) authorized the prosecution of Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia under the Prevention of Corruption Act on 17 February. The request for prosecution sanction from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had been approved by the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Vinai Kumar Saxena, who then passed it to the MHA.
Sisodia called the action ‘cowardly,’ adding that fabricating evidence to hurt opponents is a sign of weakness and cowards. “Many more allegations will be made against the Aam Aadmi Party as it grows,” tweeted the deputy chief minister of Delhi.
According to the CBI report, the alleged surveillance team was led by Manish Sisodia. “Till now, CBI, ED (Enforcement Directorate) and Delhi Police have registered 163 cases against us. However, BJP has not been able to prove even a single case. About 134 of these cases have been dismissed by the courts and in the rest of the cases also, the BJP-led Centre has been unable to provide any evidence. These cases are politically motivated,” AAP government has said earlier, refuting the charges.
Following AAP’s victory in Delhi in 2015, the Feedback Unit was established within the vigilance division, to inform the government about updates on various activities in different departments so that the government functions smoothly. However, it has been alleged in the CBI report that the unit was instead used to spy on political opponents. Reportedly, the unit snooped on union ministers, opposition political parties, MPs, the Lieutenant Governor’s office, media houses, leading businessmen and even judges of courts. The CBI had sought sanction to register FIR against Sisodia in the case.
The Aam Aadmi Party has denied the allegations calling the allegations politically motivated. Tha party said that there is no evidence to support the allegations.
Notably, the AAP leader Manish Sisodia is already on CBI’s radar in the liquor policy case where cartelization and monopolies were taking place in the liquor trade under the Delhi government’s new liquor policy.