The Centre on Saturday scrambled to ensure there was no damage to its relations with African nations following the controversial midnight raid by Delhi’s law Minister Somnath Bharti on Ugandan nationals. With African envoys taking up the issue and seeking details, the MEA convened an urgent meeting with them and assured them of prompt action to avoid recurrence. The Centre, sources said, directed the Delhi Police Commissioner to set up an office dedicated to complaints from foreigners.
Bharti’s midnight raid in Khirki Extension has not only brought the Delhi Police and the AAP in a confrontation mode but also threatens to take a far more serious turn with the new political outfit announcing to sit on a dharna outside the Union Home Minister’s office from Monday if its demand for putting the Delhi Police under the Delhi Government’s control was not met.
Sources said nearly 20 African envoys took up the alleged “racial profiling” with the Centre, which sought to allay their fears even while condemning the late night action of Bharti. Its promptness in the matter is also seen in the backdrop of the Goa Government’s recent face-off with the Nigerian nationals in the State and one that had assumed alarming proportions.
In an interview to a TV channel, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal clarified that his party had nothing against foreigners. “We respect foreigners as our honoured guests,” he said. But, at the same time, he defended his Minister’s actions denying any racist comment having been made or manhandling of the African nationals by Bharti.
Kejriwal had met Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde on Friday to seek action against the “guilty” cops. But the police claimed that the Minister acted against law by conducting a search without warrant. Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi, however, has made it clear he stood by his men. Bharti had led a group of people to conduct a raid at a house and is alleged to have misbehaved with Ugandan women accusing them of being part of a “drug and prostitution” racket.
Sources said Secretary (West) in the MEA Dinkar Khullar assured the envoys that the Government intended to take action against those responsible for the ill-treatment of Ugandan nationals. He also told the envoys that the police will deploy extra patrols to tackle complaints and safeguard people in the national Capital, including foreigners from vigilantism. The Delhi lieutenant-Governor has also ordered a probe into the matter.