DCW summons AAP leader; BJP to hold protests; Cong to meet l-G to seek Minister’s resignation
Noose is tightening around Delhi law Minister Somnath Bharti’s neck as one of the African women, who recorded her statement before a magistrate, identified Bharti as having led the group that barged into her house and attacked them. Pressure is being mounted on the Kejriwal Government from all quarters to sack Bharti, even as Delhi Commission of Women (DCW) served a notice on the law Minister to appear before the panel.
While the BJP has planned to hold protests in all 14 districts against Bharti’s illegal raids, Delhi Congress leaders will meet the lieutenant-Governor on Thursday demanding resignation of the law Minister.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Police on Wednesday transferred the case registered against the Malviya Nagar MlA and his supporters for the “illegal” raids to Mehrauli police station for a just and fair probe.
The Ugandan woman, who identified Bharti as the man who led the raiding team, told the SDM: “We were attacked by a group led by Somnath Bharti...We were harassed, we were beaten. They were having long sticks. They said we should leave their country or else they would kill us one by one.”
The woman said she identified Bharti “as the next day I saw him on television. The Delhi Police came in time and saved us from the mob.”
Bharti refused to make any comment on the demands for his removal while the AAP and his colleagues came into his defence, saying any citizen, especially a Minister, has the right to ask police to act on any illegal activity. However, women’s rights activists were not impressed saying that Bharti had violated laws relating to women.
BJP national secretary Arti Mehra wrote to the SHO of Hauz Khas police station stating that Bharti had violated section 228A(1) of the IPC by taking the name of the Danish gangrape victim publicly.
DCW had summoned Bharti on Tuesday itself. “We had asked him to appear before the Commission on Tuesday but he did not show up. We have sent another summon. If he still does not appear, we shall write to the l-Gand to the Delhi Police Commissioner to register an FIR,” said Barkha Singh, DCW Chairperson.
National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson Mamta Sharma said: “Bharti should have resigned or should have been asked to resign. He has no right to go to a woman’s place and create a stir.”
Pressure on the party escalated on Wednesday when over 40 academicians and rights activists asked Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to remove the law Minister from his post.