CBI questions Sisodia on Talk to AK contract row

New Delhi: The CBI on Friday quizzed Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia as part of its ongoing investigation into the preliminary inquiry registered against him in connection with a social media campaign of the city government. The agency recently registered a inquiry against Mr Sisodia to probe the alleged irregularities committed in awarding a social media campaign “Talk to AK” contract to a private firm.

According to sources, the agency had asked Mr Sisodia for a convenient time and place for an interaction. The AAP leader is understood to have called a CBI team at his residence on Friday, they added. The CBI sleuths kept “seeking clarifications” for over six hours at his residence.

Sources further said a similar exercise had already been carried out with other people linked to the campaign including the head of a well-known public relations. The CBI had registered the inquiry in January on the basis of a complaint filed by the Vigilance Department of the Delhi government. Sources said no search or raid was conducted at the premises of Sisodia. According to rules, no search or raid can be carried out under a PE.

The social media campaign “Talk to AK” was an initiative of chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. There are allegations that a consultant of a well-known public relations company was hired by the Delhi government to promote ‘Talk to AK’ (Talk to Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal) campaign and a proposal of Rs 1.5 crore was prepared for this purpose.

It is also alleged that despite objections from the principal secretary, the government went ahead with the proposal and the consultant spent the money thereby creating a liability for the government. The BJP and Congress called the campaign a marketing gimmick at the cost of the exchequer. The questions and answers, the two alleged, were “scripted”.