Atishi breaks down as Sisodia gets bail; AAP hails SC order as 'victory of truth'

The Supreme Court's granting of bail to AAP leader Manish Sisodia in the Delhi Excise Policy case was welcomed by the AAP and other INDIA bloc leaders, who hailed the Supreme Court order as "victory of truth". The news brought cheer to the AAP camp, which said the verdict was a slap on the Centre's dictatorship.

Delhi Minister and AAP leader Atishi broke down as she addressed the crowd during the inauguration of the school built by Manish Sisodia. She later told reporters that he was implicated in a false case. "Manish Sisodia has been granted bail after 17 months in jail. This is the victory of truth. He was implicated in a false case. He gave a bright future to the children of Delhi. Today we are happy and we await the release of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. This is the victory of the people of Delhi," Atishi added.

The party said it hoped that other jailed leaders of the party "will also get justice". 

 A bench of justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan said Sisodia has been in custody for 17 months and trial has not yet commenced, depriving him of the right to speedy trial.

MP Raghav Chadha took to X to share his happiness aid, "The whole country is happy today as Manish Sisodia, the hero of Delhi education revolution, got bail. I express my gratitude to the Honorable Supreme Court from the bottom of my heart."

"Manish ji was kept behind the bars for 530 days. His crime was that he gave a better future to the children of the poor. Dear children, your Manish uncle is coming back," Chadha said.

Delhi Minister and AAP leader Gopal Rai too slammed the Centre for keeping Sisodia in jail for 17 months, stating this proved the BJP government wanted to crush the hope of educational change in this country. "We all thank the Supreme Court. Not a single piece of evidence has been found to date. The CBI and ED kept the Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi in jail for 17 months. Shame on such an agency which has not found a single evidence to date," Rai added.

AAP's Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh too called the verdict a slap on the Centre's dictatorship. He was in jail for 17 months. His life was destroyed in those months. He could have worked for the education of children during that time." 

DMK MP Kanimozhi too welcomed Sisodia getting bail. "Finally there is some semblance of justice, more needs to be done. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal has still not got bail. The law does not insist on jail. Everybody has the right to get bail," she said.

Congress leader Pawan Khera too thanked the top court for the decision, though the "relief was delayed".  

"We also question the government, the need to keep a person occupying a constitutional post for so long, for 17 months in jail. You are free to investigate, you must investigate anybody who is accused of any wrongdoing. But to keep people like Hemant Soren, Arvind Kejriwal or Manish Sisodia behind bars is a bit of a stretch," he said.

However, the Delhi unit of BJP has hit out at Sisodia, with BJP state president Virendraa Sachdeva stating that getting bail does not mean he was not guilty. "Manish Sisodia has got bail but the investigation is still on and the BJP has always respected the court's decision. The investigation is still going on and whether it is Arvind Kejriwal or anyone else, everyone will be held guilty," he said,

BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj said Sisodia's lawyers's pleas were based on delay and not merit. "Manish Sisodia was in jail for 17-18 months and the bail was granted on delay in trial. He is still an accused and is still answerable to the court of law for betraying the people of Delhi. Manish Sisodia was such an Education Minister of Delhi, a sinner, and who pushed the children of Delhi from 'paathshala to madhushala'," Swaraj added.