Arvind Kejriwal breaks down after court relief; Congress hits back as Punjab rivalry deepens Opposition rift

Arvind Kejriwal, chief of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), broke down in tears on Friday after a Delhi court discharged him, former deputy CM Manish Sisodia and 21 others in the CBI case related to the 2021–22 Delhi excise policy.

Any expectation that the moment would trigger wider Opposition solidarity, however, quickly gave way to sharp reactions and political jibes.

Congress leader Gurdeep Singh Sappal questioned whether Kejriwal’s tears reflected “a bit of remorse” for years of accusations against the party, particularly during AAP’s launch in 2011–12. Writing on X, he accused Kejriwal of building his early political career by targeting former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi and the late Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit.

The Congress and AAP had partnered under the INDIA bloc for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, but relations have since cooled, with rivalry in Punjab emerging as a key fault line.

The Punjab factor

Punjab is central to the current political friction. Assembly elections are due early next year, and the AAP government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann faces the Congress as its principal Opposition in the state.

Sappal alleged that the Mann government was misusing police machinery in a manner similar to the BJP-led Centre under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He also cited allegations surrounding the December 2025 Zila Parishad and Block Samiti elections, where opposition parties accused the AAP government of using state agencies to influence outcomes.

The AAP administration has rejected the charges. Mann has maintained that investigations are aimed at tackling corruption, describing them as a “cleansing act” rather than political vendetta.

What the court said

Friday’s relief came from a Special Court at Rouse Avenue, where Judge Jitender Singh ruled that the prosecution had failed to establish even a prima facie case sufficient to frame charges.

The FIR in the excise policy case was registered in August 2022 following a complaint by Delhi Lieutenant Governor V. K. Saxena, who alleged that the policy favoured select liquor licensees and caused losses to the exchequer. The CBI has since moved the Delhi High Court challenging the discharge order.

Support from non-Congress Opposition

While Congress leaders were critical, Kejriwal received backing from other Opposition parties.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) said the verdict exposed what it called the “weaponisation” of investigative agencies for political vendetta.

Mahua Moitra of the All India Trinamool Congress wrote on X that truth had prevailed, taking a swipe at the BJP over its use of agencies like the ED and CBI.

Meanwhile, K. Kavitha, daughter of former Telangana chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao and also among those discharged, called the case “a web of lies,” saying the judiciary had seen through it.