CLEAN CHIT FOR THE AAM AADMI

A Delhi court's dismissal of the 'Liquorgate' charges gives AAP and Arvind Kejriwal much-needed validation to woo back voters

- Avishek G. Dastidar

THERE IS A KIND OF THEATRE THAT INDIAN POLITICS DOES BETTER than even the movies and sports—the impossible comeback. On February 27, a Delhi court wrote the possible opening scenes of one such when it demolished the 'Liquorgate' chargesheet penned by the Central Bureau of Investigation. It was a collective exoneration—of practically the entire Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government that was deposed in Delhi a year ago on the back of a diminished aura. But the spotlight also narrowed on a singular figure, an icon obscured by clouds: Arvind Kejriwal.

Acquitting the former chief minister and the rest-deputy CM Manish Sisodia and 21 others—special judge Jitendra Singh reserved no judgement while upbraiding the probe agencies: “The investigation appears to have proceeded on a predetermined trajectory, implicating virtually everyone associated with the formulation or implementation of the policy in order to lend an illusion of depth and credibility to an otherwise fragile narrative.”

Outside the court, Kejriwal, who had built his party around the anti-corruption plank, broke down mid-sentence before the cameras while reflecting on the twists of fate. “A sitting chief minister was dragged out of his home and thrown in jail for six months, a first in the country,” he said, his voice heavy with emotion.