A day after the Aam Admi Party alleged threat to Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s life as a huge protest broke out at his house over his remarks on the movie, ‘The Kashmir Files’, an AAP MLA on Thursday moved the high court for a high-level probe. In his petition, the AAP’s Saurabh Bhardwaj has sought a special investigation team to conduct an independent probe, levelling serious allegations against the Delhi Police.
Bhardwaj’s petition says “the attack appears to have been carried out with Delhi Police’s tacit complicity”. “The petition, inter alia, seeks (a) constitution of a Special Investigation Team (“SIT”) to undertake an independent, fair and time-bound criminal investigation with respect to the attack and its perpetrators; and (b) appropriate directions for ensuring the security of the Delhi CM’s person and residence in future.”
Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, on Wednesday, alleged the BJP’s links to the ‘plot to kill’ the chief minister. “As it could not defeat Arvind Kejriwal in the Punjab polls, the BJP now wants to kill him (hatya karna chahta hai). Today’s attack on the chief minister’s house shows that the BJP, with the help of police, wants to kill Kejriwal. We will lodge a formal complaint against this,” he told reporters.
The AAP MLA’s petition filed in the high court on Thursday further says; “Several BJP goons, in the garb of a protest, launched an attack on the official residence of the Delhi CM. Videos and photographs show that these goons casually walked through the security cordon (maintained by Delhi Police), kicked and broke the boom barrier, broke the CCTVs cameras with lathis, threw paint on the gate of the residence and almost climbed over the gate, while Delhi Police personnel simply looked on, doing little to stop the protestors. While the petitioner strongly supports the right to protest peacefully, even if such protest is against the Delhi
government, it is submitted that in the name of protest, violence cannot and ought not to be permitted and condoned.”
Calling Thursday’s violence “a direct attack on democracy”, Bhardwaj has also attacked the police: “Delhi Police, completely abdicated their duty, without any regard for the fact that they were protecting an elected constitutional functionary and the fact that he was given Z+ security by Delhi Police itself. Moreover, the Delhi Police’s inaction was in blatant violation of this Hon’ble Court’s order dated 22.08.2017 wherein the Delhi Police was directed to ensure that no unnecessary protest takes place on the road in front of the Delhi CM’s house, as it is a residential area. (sic).”
Bhardwaj has said “it appears that Delhi Police was hand in glove with the goons as the goons are members of the ruling party in the central government, which has absolute control over Delhi Police through the Ministry of Home Affairs)”.
Arvind Kejriwal’s remarks on the movie – ‘The Kashmir Files’ – have kicked off a polticial row. The movie, based on the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits three decades ago, has been endorsed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several top BJP leaders.
Last week, Kejriwal had said in the Delhi assembly: “They (BJP) are demanding that the movie be declared tax-free in Delhi. Upload it on YouTube, the movie will become free and everyone will be able to watch it.” He further said, “Some people are earning crores in the name of Kashmiri Pandits and you (BJP) have been sticking posters of the film.”