Delhi’s Urban Development Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia speaks during a news conference in New Delhi yesterday. From a rally that nearly ended in a stampede, to a rebellious lawmaker and a minister openly duelling police over drug gangs, the honeymoon could be short-lived for the AAP, the anti-corruption party that shook up India’s politics last month.
IANS/New Delhi
The Congress and BJP have criticised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and termed as “reprehensible” and “unseemly” the vigilantism of Law Minister Somnath Bharti and AAP cadres in rounding up some African women.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari of the Congress tweeted that the action of the AAP cadres in forcing the African women to undergo medical tests was a “blot” and “reprehensible and obtuse”.
“Blots record as the vanguard of the struggle against imperialism and apartheid. The sensitivity we expect from other nations we must display too,” Tewari posted.
“Indo-African relationship rooted in struggle against colonialism and racism. Treatment meted out to African ladies by AAP reprehensible and obtuse,” he posted.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Arun Jaitley said in a tweet that the only redeeming part in Wednesday night’s episode was the Delhi Police official who refused to obey the bidding of Bharti to conduct a midnight raid on a house in Khirkee Extension where the minister alleged a drug and prostitution racket was being run.
“The Delhi Police ACP has stood by law and not meekly followed diktats of his minister - the only redeeming feature in this unseemly episode,” Jaitley posted.
“The action by AAP cadres to carry out medical tests which included cavity search on some women foreign nationals is contrary to law,” the BJP leader wrote.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Police yesterday refused to suspend four of its officers who allegedly refused to act against a sex and drug gang, but the Delhi government reiterated the demand.
Education Minister Manish Sisodia said the government wanted the four officials suspended until an inquiry ordered yesterday by Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung into the policemen’s conduct was over.
“Their suspension is necessary, otherwise there will be a problem in the inquiry,” Sisodia told the media. “Our government won’t keep quiet. This is not Sheila Dikshit’s government. The government has changed. We will take action whether or not Delhi Police is under us,” he said.
Sisodia, the de facto number two in the ruling Aam Aadmi Party, said a government delegation led by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal called on the lieutenant governor and pressed for the suspension.
According to the minister, while Jung said he won’t suspend anyone, police commissioner B S Bassi said suspending the men “now will be difficult”.
Sisodia said an AAP delegation will now take the demand to union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde.
Sisodia denied charges of vigilantism hurled against two Delhi ministers - Somnath Bharti and Rakhi Birla.
Bharti accused Delhi Police of not acting against a sex and drug racket despite repeated complaints while Birla alleged that police were refusing to arrest a family which had set their daughter-in-law on fire.
On Thursday, Kejriwal asked Delhi Police to suspend the officers, including the station house officers (SHO) of Malviya Nagar in south Delhi and Sagarpur in west Delhi.