Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia resigned from the Delhi Cabinet on Tuesday night following graft charges against him in the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 case. His resignation follows a Supreme Court order which refused to entertain his petition challenging his arrest and CBI custody in the excise case. Along with Sisodia, former health minister Satyendar Jain, who has been lodged in jail since May last year for corruption charges, also tendered his resignation.

In his resignation letter, Sisodia lamented that “despite working with honesty and integrity for eight years, allegations of corruption” were levelled against him, while asserting that the “allegations are in fact nothing more than a conspiracy hatched by cowardly and weak people who are scared of (Delhi Chief Minister) Arvind Kejriwal’s politics of truth”.

“I am not their target, you are. Because today not only Delhi, the people of the whole country view you as a leader who has a vision for the country and by implementing that vision, also has the ability to bring big changes in the lives of the people,” he said, in the letter.

Read full text of Manish Sisodia’s resignation letter:

“Respected Chief Minister,

I consider it my great fortune that I got the opportunity to serve as a minister in the Delhi Government for eight consecutive years under your leadership. I am happy that in the last eight years, the work that has been done under your leadership to bring happiness and prosperity in the lives of Delhiites, as a minister, I have also got the opportunity to play a small role in it. Perhaps the opportunity to serve Maa Saraswati in this life, as the Education Minister, came my way because of good deeds I may have done in previous births.

The people of Delhi are well aware that during the last eight years as a minister, I have done my work with full devotion and honesty. My late father always taught me to complete my work with honesty and integrity. When I was studying in 6th class, my father got a very beautiful picture of Lord Krishna framed and hung it opposite my bed and told me to bow to Lord Krishna first thing every morning. Below this picture, he had written a message – ‘To complete one’s work with honesty and integrity is the true worship of Krishna.’

While studying, from class 6 to class 12, everyday for seven consecutive years, when I woke up in the morning, the first thing I looked at was that picture and I kept reading that education sentence written by my father. Today I feel that my father must have put great thought into this. Due to such upbringing by my parents, honesty and integrity are in my values today. No power in this world can make me dishonest nor can it reduce my loyalty towards my work. Even today, even if I want to, I can neither be dishonest in any work nor can I avoid working.

It is very sad that despite working with honesty and integrity for eight years, allegations of corruption are being leveled against me. I know, my God knows that all these allegations are lies. These allegations are in fact nothing more than a conspiracy hatched by cowardly and weak people who are scared of Arvind Kejriwal’s politics of truth. I am not their target, you are. Because today not only Delhi, the people of the whole country view you as a leader who has a vision for the country and by implementing that vision, also has the ability to bring big changes in the lives of the people.

Today Arvind Kejriwal has become a name of hope in the eyes of crores of people across the country facing problems like economic crisis, poverty, unemployment, inflation and corruption. People do not view your words as mere statements made by other leaders, but see them with the belief that Kejriwal does what he says.

Many FIRs have been registered against me and preparations are on to register many more. They tried hard to make me leave your side. Tried to scare me, threatened me, lured me. When I did not bow down before them, today they have arrested me and put me in jail. I am not even afraid of their jails. I am not the first person in the world to go to jail fighting for the truth. I have read the stories of thousands of people who were fighting for freedom and were imprisoned by the British in false and baseless cases. They were even hanged. All these people are my source of inspiration.

When I think about them, it seems that in today’s time, going to jail while fighting for the truth is nothing in front of the trouble faced by those people who used to go to jail with smiles on their faces even after suffering the oppression of the British. That’s why there is no fear of going to jail in my mind. And then the power of truth is with me then why should I be afraid. I have worked honestly in various departments of Delhi Government.

The prayers of lakhs of children studying in government schools of Delhi are with me. The love of their parents is with me. And the biggest thing is that I have the blessings of thousands of teachers who brought revolution in the education of Delhi. All the allegations they have made against me, the truth regarding them will come out in time and it will be proved that all these allegations were false. But now that they have crossed all limits and put me in jail by hatching a conspiracy under false and baseless allegations, I wish that I not remain a minister anymore. It is a matter of privilege and pride in itself to be a minister of the Delhi government under your leadership and work for the people of Delhi, but for the time being, I am presenting my resignation to you through this letter. I request you to accept my resignation and relieve me from the responsibilities of the ministerial post.

I know the conspirators are putting me in jail to harass you and I. But I think that these conspiracies of theirs will strengthen our fight for the politics of truth. They can lock us and our colleagues in jail but cannot stop our spirits from touching the heights of the sky. I think that my going to jail will boost the morale of our colleagues, and our workers and the spirit of doing something for the country will grow stronger in them.

Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamare dil main hai,

Dekhna hai zor kitna baazu-e-qatil main hai.

In the end, I would like to thank all the officers and employees of Delhi Government who worked with me in the last eight years while I occupied the post of minister and with whose cooperation I could properly fulfill the responsibilities given to me. I again humbly request you to accept my resignation from the cabinet of the Delhi Government. Kindly relieve me from this post.”