BJP, AAP leaders scuffle in Palam
A confrontation over a fatal blaze in southwest Delhi’s Palam escalated into a physical scuffle between BJP MLA Kuldeep Solanki and AAP Delhi unit president Saurabh Bharadwaj on Thursday.
The clash broke out a day after a fire claimed the lives of nine people, with leaders from both parties trading charges over alleged lapses in the emergency response. The AAP alleged that BJP karyakartas blocked access, created a ruckus, pushed AAP leaders, prevented them from meeting the grieving family, and threw chairs.
The incident occurred when representatives from both sides visited the area where nine members of a family, including a 70-year-old woman and her three granddaughters, died on Wednesday.
According to police, the altercation was triggered by a heated exchange over an alleged delay in the deployment of hydraulic cranes during the firefighting operation.
“The argument escalated into a brief scuffle, with supporters from both sides raising slogans against each other,” a senior officer with Delhi Police said.
The situation was brought under control after police intervention, the officer said, adding that additional force has been deployed in the area to maintain law and order.
Meanwhile, AAP Delhi AAP President Saurabh Bharadwaj stated that BJP leaders intended to attack Arvind Kejriwal and that video evidence of the attempt exists, adding that an associate of a BJP MLA hurled a chair at former AAP MLA Vinay Mishra, injuring him, which reflected a clear and deliberate attempt to incite violence.
The Delhi BJP President, Virendra Sachdeva, said that since the fire broke out yesterday morning, it has been publicly known through media statements of neighbors and eyewitnesses that the lower floors of the building housed godowns and shops where large quantities of inflammable materials were stored.
These materials caught fire, and within moments, the blaze spread throughout the entire building. Many deaths had already occurred before the fire brigade arrived.
