The turf war between Delhi Government and lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung is expected to escalate further as Delhi Home Minister Satyendra Jain has alleged that Jung did not consider his advice before giving nod to prosecute AAP MlA Somnath Bharti in the 2014 Khirki Extension midnight raid case. Jain further said he would take up the issue with the council of Ministers.
Accusing Jung of being in a hurry to take a decision on the issue, Jain said, “On July 3, the l-G gave the police sanction to prosecute Bharti without considering the Home Department’s recommendations. On August 3, the Chief Minister’s office received the file which was later sent to me. And on August 5, the l-G’s office called us asking to notify it at the earliest.”
“It is so shocking that the l-G’s office is taking so much interest in notifying a prosecution sanction order. They also said if the Delhi Government did not notify it, the l-G’s office would go ahead and notify it,” said Jain.
He added that he will take up the matter with the council of Ministers. “l-G should work on the advice of council of Ministers and as he has declined our advice. I will raise the issue before the council of Ministers,” he said.
Further alleging that Jung was working under pressure from the BJP, Jain said, “This case is over one-year-old and l-G had complete control of Delhi during that time. He could have taken the decision then. What provoked him to give his nod just before the Special Assembly sessionIJ”
In January last year, Bharti and his supporters had allegedly forcibly detained and threatened some African women during a confrontation with police in his Malviya Nagar constituency over inaction against a suspected drug and prostitution racket. In its charge sheet filed in September last year, police had said that nine African women were victims of molestation and manhandling by a mob led by Bharti in the Khirki Extension area.
Earlier this year, a court had asked police to get prosecution sanction against Bharti from the competent authority.