Hindustan Times (Delhi)

False case was filed in assault matter: Sisodia

- HT Correspond­ent letters@hindustant­imes.com

Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Wednesday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of misusing its power to file a “false case” against chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in connection with the alleged assault on former Delhi chief secretary Anshu Prakash.

Sisodia also alleged that the Union government failed to manage the Covid-19 crisis because they were busy “spying” on Opposition leaders, and asserted that the BJP was scared of the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) popularity.

The BJP dismissed the allegation­s as “baseless”.

Sisodia’s comments came after a Delhi court on Wednesday discharged Kejriwal, Sisodia, and nine other AAP MLAS in connection with the case of assault on former chief secretary

NEW DELHI:

February 20: Chief secretary Anshu Prakash alleges he was assaulted by AAP MLAS in a meeting at chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s official bungalow at midnight on February 19.

FIR against AAP MLAS Amanatulla­h Khan and Prakash Jarwal

Police detain AAP MLA Prakash Jarwal

February 21: Police arrest AAP legislator Amanatulla­h Khan February 22: Police question Kejriwal’s adviser VK Jain

March 9: Prakash Jarwal gets bail. Khan gets bail on March 12

llAnshu Prakash in 2018. The court, however, framed charges against AAP MLAS Prakash Jarwal and Amanatulla­h Khan under Sections 186, 353, and

April 19: Police question VK Jain again

May 18: Police question Kejriwal for three hours; and question Sisodia on May 25

June 11: Kejriwal, Sisodia, Satyendar Jain and Gopal Rai go to meet the LG, sit on a dharna at his residence. The sit-in ends on June 19.

other sections of the Indian Penal Code.

In his police complaint in February 2018, Prakash alleged that Kejriwal, Sisodia, and 11 AAP

August 13: Delhi police file charge sheet against Kejriwal, Sisodia and 11 AAP MLAS

November 18: Anshu Prakash is transferre­d to the Union telecommun­ications department.

March 14: Delhi HC stays trial by the city court

August 21: Anshu Prakash moves high court, seeks early hearing

Aug 11: Delhi court gives clean chit to CM, Deputy CM and nine MLAS. Frames charges against two MLAS

MLAS assaulted him in a midnight meeting called by the CM’S former adviser VK Jain on February 19, 2018, to discuss release of the party’s advertisem­ents related to the government completing three years in Delhi.

Prakash alleged that he was manhandled and assaulted in the course of the meeting.

Reacting to the court’s decision, Kejriwal tweeted, “Satyameva Jayate” (the truth prevails).

Sisodia, in a video briefing later, said: “Arvind Kejriwal has become the most popular leader of the country due to his honesty and good governance model. BJP is scared of Arvind Kejriwal’s popularity, so a false police case was made against him by the BJP which misused its power in the central government. Delhi Police reports to them. The CM’S house and office were raided. He was treated like a terrorist.”

“Officers were forcibly stopped from working for the public good for six months by the BJP which hatched this conspiracy… Today, the Centre has become so busy in spying on the Opposition, obstructin­g governance in states led by Opposition parties and conspiraci­es that they are failing in managing difficult situations in the country. The failure of the Centre can be seen in the mismanagem­ent of Covid-19 crisis.”

Dismissing the allegation­s, the BJP’S Delhi unit spokespers­on Praveen Shankar Kapoor said, “The court fixing charges against two AAP MLAS in the case of beating and scuffle with former chief secretary Anshu Prakash proves that the chief secretary was actually beaten that night in the CM’S residence. The AAP government is now trying to hide this fact with baseless allegation­s. Kejriwal and some MLAS may have been given clean chit due to lack of sustainabl­e evidence but the incident took place in CM’S presence and thus he is morally responsibl­e. The CM should come forward and apologise to Mr Anshu Prakash and people of Delhi.”

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