New Delhi: On August 19, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena ordered the immediate transfer of 12 IAS officers. The move came after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raided the residence of Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on the same day, a few days after he was listed in an FIR along with 14 others over allegations of corruption in Delhi’s liquor policy. Sisodia’s phone and laptop were seized during the raid, he told reporters at a press conference on August 19. However, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has not done anything wrong, and will continue to work honestly, Sisodia was quoted as saying.Meanwhile, amidst allegations that the AAP had paid the New York Times to spotlight Sisodia’s work, the US-based newspaper held fast to its coverage on the improvement of the Delhi education system and said that their article is unbiased.Phone, laptop seizedThe CBI seized his laptop and phone after a 14-hour raid on his residence on August 19, Sisodia told reporters at a press conference late evening on the same day. However, the AAP has not done anything wrong, Sisodia, who is in charge of both education and excise portfolios in the state, said.“We are extremely honest people,” Sisodia was quoted as saying. “We have not done anything wrong and will continue to work honestly. We have built schools for millions of children by working honestly. We have built hospitals working honestly, where millions of people have got treatment.”The CBI carried out day-long searches at Sisodia’s Delhi residence and 31 other locations across seven states, reported NDTV. The raids were made in connection with irregularities in Delhi’s new excise policy, based on allegations made in November last year that liquor shop licenses were handed over to private players. Officials have alleged that the policy violated rules and did not follow procedure; that there were “deliberate and gross procedural lapses” to provide post tender “undue benefits to liquor licensees”. Sisodia rolled back the policy on July 30 after a probe by the Delhi Police’s Economic Offences Wing began, NDTV reported. Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor Saxena recommended the CBI probe last month. The CBI named 15 people, including Sisodia, in its FIR on August 17 under IPC sections related to criminal conspiracy and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.IAS officers transferred After the CBI raids on August 19, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena ordered the transfer of 12 IAS officers with immediate effect.Earlier on August 6, Saxena had suspended 11 officials including IAS officer Arava Gopi Krishna, due to “serious lapses” in the implementation of Delhi’s 2021-2022 excise policy. The Lieutenant Governor’s office had said that there were also “irregularities in finalizing the tender and extending post-tender benefits” to some vendors. Krishna was the excise commissioner at the time and was transferred from the post of Delhi Excise Commissioner on July 12.The transfer of 12 IAS officers on August 19 is the third major reshuffle of bureaucrats by Saxena since he assumed charge in May this year.Our article is unbiased: NYT Meanwhile, after several BJP leaders accused the AAP of paying the New York Times (NYT) to spotlight Manish Sisodia, the US-based newspaper issued a statement regarding their coverage.“Our report about efforts to improve Delhi’s education system is based on impartial, on-the-ground reporting, and education is an issue that The New York Times has covered over many years. Journalism from The New York Times is always independent, free from political or advertiser influence,” Nicole Tylor, a spokesperson for the newspaper, told PTI in an email.On August 16, the NYT had published a story on how the AAP is “overhauling” the education system in the capital. The story featured a picture of Sisodia with three students from Delhi government schools, with the caption, “Manish Sisodia, the Delhi education minister, started the overhaul by making surprise visits to schools. Now other states in India are pushing to adopt the Delhi model,” PTI reported.However, members of the BJP termed the front page article “paid news”. BJP leader Parvesh Varma, for example, compared the NYT article to one in the Khaleej Times and claimed that being identical, both were “planted” reports, NDTV reported. The NYT responded to this as well in their response on August 19. Tylor clarified, “Other news outlets routinely license and republish our coverage”, as per the PTI.On August 19, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had said that the CBI raids related to the excise policy issue were prompted by the NYT’s coverage of Sisodia’s accomplishments with regard to the education system.