The BJP has accused Delhi’s law Minister Somnath Bharti of “racism” and wondered if the dharna planned by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to demand suspension of some police officials is a ploy for “a way out for the Government and get back to the streets”.
Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley said Aam Admi Party (AAP) is obviously more comfortable doing a dharna than working in the Secretariat, noting that the past three weeks have shown that the party gets into a “self-destructive mode” at the Secretariat. “Is the planned dharna for one day a ploy to fracture its non-transparent arrangement with the CongressIJ Is the AAP looking for a way out of the Government and get back on the streetsIJ Or is it exploiting the non-preparedness of the Congress and the Home Minister into yielding to its demand,” he said in a statement.
Jaitley was reacting on Kejriwal’s decision to stage a dharna outside the Home Ministry on Monday demanding action against policemen who refused to ‘cooperate’ with Bharti in cracking down on an alleged drug and prostitution ring involving some Ugandan nationals in South Delhi. Jaitley said Bharti has created serious problems for Africans staying in the Capital. “His approach appears to be a racist one. The party within days has become victim of its own unconventional style. Mobs can’t take decisions. They can at best be populist,” the leader said.
Bharti is at the centre of a raging row as he tried to raid an alleged drug and prostitution ring involving foreign nationals but the police refused to do his bidding citing lack of warrant. Kejriwal has defended Bharti, saying he acted on the complaint of people, and instead accused police of not acting on the Minister’s complaint.