The Supreme Court Wednesday closed contempt proceedings against Delhi BJP chief and MP Manoj Tiwari for breaking the civic agency's seal in his constituency's Gokalpur area in September even as it deprecated his action of taking law into his own hands.
Incidentally, an FIR was registered against him and a Supreme Court-mandated monitoring committee referred the matter for contempt proceedings against him.
Right after the court's proceedings, major political parties reacted on the "Pick and Choose" policy of Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) committee for sealing drive in Delhi's markets that had affected adversely to thousands of small scale industrialists allegedly contributing in polluting Delhi's air due to lack of parking and other required facilities to avoid traffic congestion on roads.
First, Delhi BJP unit chief Tiwari said that the Supreme Court, which closed contempt proceedings against him, had noted his concerns over the pick and choose policy in the ongoing sealing drive in the national Capital.
"The pick and choose policy of the Monitoring Committee (EPCA) and the illegal sealing actions, which have been highlighted by us, have been taken note of by the Supreme Court," Tiwari said a statement.
The court observed that as an elected representative, Tiwari should have exercised restraint and pacified the mob, rather than taking the law in his own hands.
Earlier in the day, a bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur said the court was "extremely pained" by Tiwari's behaviour. Tiwari had already stated in his affidavit that the situation at the spot required an "affirmative action" and he broke the seal as a "symbol" of protest, the statement said. "The need of the hour was such where a symbolic seal breaking action had to be done in view to protect and maintain the law and order situation on ground at that particular moment," it said.
Accompanied by his supporters, Tiwari had in September broken the seal put by the Veterinary Department of East Municipal Corporation of Delhi.
EPCA committee is supervising the ongoing sealing drive against violations of Delhi's Master Plan, undertaken by the Municipal Corporations since last year.
Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also said that BJP should end its stunt and theatrics over the sealing issue, and immediately bring an ordinance to maintain status quo and provide relief to lakhs of people.
Kejriwal's comments came hours after the Supreme Court closed contempt proceedings against BJP MP Manoj Tiwari for breaking the civic agency's seal on a premises here in September.
"If BJP is done wid its stunts and theatrics, the people of Delhi urge BJP to immediately bring an ordinance now to maintain status quo, provide relief to lakhs of people and save their jobs (sic)," Kejriwal tweeted. The apex court also said that "misplaced political propaganda has no place" and "such practices should be deprecated", he said.