Manish Sisodia's show of strength before appearing for CBI questioning

New Delhi: Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Monday dubbed as "fake" the case lodged against him by the CBI in the excise policy matter, and claimed that his questioning was taking place as the BJP was "scared" of the AAP's "popularity" in poll-bound Gujarat.

Chief Minister and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal said Sisodia was going to be arrested in a bid to stop him from campaigning in Gujarat.

Sisodia sought blessings of his mother at his Mathura road residence before leaving for the CBI headquarters in a procession accompanied by several leaders and volunteers in cars and bikes with patriotic songs being played in the background.

Making two stopovers on the way, Sisodia addressed AAP workers at the party headquarters where he asserted that he was not scared of being arrested and also visited Raj Ghat to seek blessings of the Father of the Nation.

"I will fully cooperate with the investigation and I am not scared of being arrested," he told AAP workers.

From the AAP office the deputy chief minister reached Mahatma Gandhi's memorial to pay homage to the Father of the Nation.

"I paid tribute to Bapu against whom also fake cases were registered. The BJP wants to send me to jail in a fake case. I am proud that I will be of some use to the country," Sisodia told PTI.

He also claimed that his questioning and possible arrest were taking place as the BJP was scared of the AAP's "popularity" in Gujarat.

Sisodia is being questioned by the CBI in connection with alleged irregularities in implementation of the now-scrapped Excise Policy 2021-22.

Earlier in a series of tweets, Sisodia said, "A completely fake case has been prepared against me. Nothing was found in the raid at my residence, search of my bank lockers and enquiries made at my village. It is a totally fake case." The Delhi deputy chief minister, who also holds the excise portfolio in the Kejriwal government, is one of the main accused in the FIR registered in the matter by the CBI.

Kejriwal also termed the case against his deputy as "fake".

"Nothing was found in the raid at the residence of Manish and his bank locker. The case against him is totally fake. He had to go to Gujarat for campaigning that's why he is being arrested but the campaigning will not stop. Every person in Gujarat is campaigning for the AAP in Gujarat," Kejriwal tweeted.

Sisodia also linked his questioning with elections in Gujarat, saying campaigning in the state will not stop even after he goes to jail.

Every Gujarati has awakened now and everyone there is campaigning for good schools, hospitals, jobs and electricity, Sisodia said and added the upcoming polls in Gujarat will be a "movement".