New Delhi, June 20, 2025 – In a blistering press conference, Atishi, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former Delhi Education Minister, took aim at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), alleging that the BJP have run a series of ‘false cases’ against AAP leaders. Atishi’s remarks were very animated and related to the ACB Case Against Manish Sisodia. Sisodia had also attended the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) for questioning for a supposed ₹2,000-crore classroom construction scam.
Atishi described the investigation as nothing more than a politically motivated witch-hunt aimed at disparaging honest leaders and undermining the AAP’s work in Delhi. Atishi’s impassioned defense of Sisodia is reviving a national discussion regarding the use of investigative agencies as tools of political vendetta. The issue has rapidly dubbed itself as one of the top trending Aam Aadmi Party news stories.
Atishi’s Defense: BJP’s ‘Fake FIRs’ & ACB Case Against Manish Sisodia
Atishi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, spoke to the media at Aam Aadmi Party headquarters and declared that the BJP is using investigative agencies to damage AAP’s reputation. “This so-called classroom scam represents yet another fake case added to the BJP’s long and growing list of fake cases against AAP leaders,” she said. “In the last ten years, over 200 cases have been registered against our leaders, yet not a single contracted rupee in corruption has been recovered by the police.” Not surprisingly, she reflects an AAP narrative that the BJP cannot compete with AAP’s record of good governance (recent elections aside), so it resorts to legal harassment.
The news today from Aam Aadmi Party was also about Sisodia’s appearance before the ACB, also using the same phrase, “politically motivated.” Sisodia who had managed the education reforms in AAP, or, as he is now dubbed, “the troop,” and the prominent Aam Aadmi Party member countered that they had set a world record by building a staggering 22,700 classrooms in Delhi. “Does the BJP want us to stop building schools for poor kids?” Atishi asked about the ruling party’s motivation.
The Classroom Scam Allegations: where do we go from here?
The case before the ACB stems from a 2019 complaint from BJP leaders like Harish Khurana, Kapil Mishra, and Neelkanth Bakshi, which alleged that the Delhi government schools incurred “financial loss” associated with the construction of a particular number of classrooms—12,748—in Delhi government schools. Because of their participation and because BJP lists of candidates (BJP lists of candidates 2022, 2023, etc.) have included more vociferous critics of AAP, the complaint has been propelled.
The complaint asserts that costs were inflated relative to what they should have been, e.g., when ACB investigators looked at semi-permanent structures the complainants argued that the costs were Rs 2,292 per square foot but were allegedly supposed to be Rs 1,200 to build each classroom. This described how a 2,000-crore “scam” occurred.
At the same time AAP, led by Sisodia (the Education Minister at the time) and Satyendar Jain (the former Public Works Department (PWD) Minister), argued that ultimately, this project transformed what students in Delhi were getting by way of educational services. The broom, the symbol of the Aam Adami Party (AAP), has been central to the defence of the party’s reforms. Atishi argued “You’re saying there is a Rs 2000 crore scam, where is the money? No evidence of cost? No evidence of recovery? No evidence? Just politics?”;
BJP Counter Offensive and Governance Accountability
On the strength of its BJP manifesto 2024 and its BJP sadasyata abhiyan membership drive, BJP has accused AAP of evading accountability, or in the context of a constituency one AAP leader has entangled himself in, “borrowing” accountability. Some BJP leaders in Delhi who found themselves on the BJP candidate list Haryana 2024 PDF, have gone on the internet and/or publicly announced that Sisodia’s refusal to answer for ACB questioning on June 9 infers guilt. Delhi’s BJP Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa has charged Sisodia with money laundering, or “looting” public funds, and all of this charge is nonsense according to AAP.
Atishi, instead, reversed the framing by attacking the BJP government of Delhi headed by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. “What has the BJP done for Delhi except repaint mohalla clinics and calling them Ayushman Arogya Mandirs,.” Atishi also followed up with problems such as water logging and raised school fees, and the BJP does not make it on the governance account. The BJP office Kukatpally and many regional offices, have been tactical and apparently somewhat successful in pushing back against the AAP narrative , yet Atishi’s comments are echoing back with AAP supporters.
Wider Political Strategy by AAP
The Aam Aadmi Party Punjab MLA list of 2022 and the emergence of Aam Aadmi Parties in Aam Aadmi Party Goa and Aam Aadmi Party Madhya Pradesh illustrate AAP trying to become a national competitor to BJP. AAP founder Arvind Kejriwal has supported Sisodia, arguing that the ACB case represented a defensive attack towards AAP’s education format. AAP branding of Aam Aadmi Party logo, and Aam Aadmi Party flag became resistance symbols with activism from the public on Aam Aadmi Party Twitter and Aam Aadmi Party Facebook.
The AAP Aam Aadmi Party candidate list for elections will likely use this controversy as the basis to move voters. During Atishi’s press conference, she also referenced the India political map, highlighting AAP working with disenfranchised communities across states, reflected in the India political map (with states). The word “polite” referenced in Hindi (विनम्र ) was also suggested in Atishi’s comments to the BJP to be more civil in their political communications.
Function of the Enforcement Directorate and other ongoing investigations
The ED recently searched 37 locations in the National Capital Region. These searches were aimed at contractors involved in the classroom project. The ED’ investigation is based on the ACB FIR dated May 30 and has reignited controversy. There has been increased scrutiny since President Droupadi Murmu authorized the ACBs investigation of Sisodia and Jain under the Prevention of Corruption Act in March 2025. However, AAP argues that the ACB is investigating to create a distraction from the failings of the BJP. This is a sentiment echoed on the
Public Sentiment and The Future
Public sentiment, as expressed in the Aam Aadmi Party app and news on Aam Aadmi party in hindi, is polarized. AAP party supporters are viewing Sisodia as the victim of BJP’s vendetta, while BJP voters are calling for accountability. The result of the case could have implications for AAP’s political fortune, especially with the BJP candidate list 2024, Aam Aadmi party candidate list, and the electoral landscape evolving.
As the political drama in Delhi rolls on, Atishi’s defense of Sisodia has put AAP in the position of an underdog with nothing to lose. The Aam Aadmi Party news continues to take shots at BJP narrative, while there is yet to be any substantial evidence of corruption. Will the ACB case undermine AAP’s legacy in education, or does this strengthen their case that they were being targeted for transformative governance? We will have to wait and see.