CM Kejriwal’s car attacked by BJP workers: Delhi govt
NEWDELHI: Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s car was allegedly attacked by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporters armed with sticks and flags, while he was on his way to inaugurate the development works in unauthorised colonies in Narela, the Delhi government said on Friday.
The government said this was the fifth attack on the CM in the last three years, and accused the Delhi Police of “working under the central government’s pressure and deliberately allowing these attacks”. The Delhi Police, which reports to the Union home ministry, and the Delhi government have been at loggerheads since AAP came to power in 2015.
The Delhi government said the attack took place on a route that was cleared by the police. “It is shocking that police deployed on the route allowed BJP workers to surround the CM’S vehicle, block it and bang on the car windows with sticks,” the government statement read.
It added that the Delhi Police was behaving like a “political wing of the ruling party at the Centre”.
Delhi Police refuted the allegations and, while it admitted that some supporters of a former BJP MLA, surrounded the car and showed black flags, it maintained that there was no attack. “There was no attack on the CM’S car, not even a scratch,” Gaurav Sharma, deputy commissioner of police (outer north), said. The Delhi BJP also hit back at the government, calling the allegations a “cheap publicity stunt”. Rajesh Bhatia, general secretary of the Delhi BJP, said, “Thisis Aap’s tactic to garner support, as the CM knows he has lost the public’s confidence.”
Anil Mittal, additional spokesperson, Delhi Police, said Kejriwal was going to attend a public function, organised by MLA Sharad Chauhan, at Rajdhani Public School in Narela. The CM’S car was being escorted by assistant commissioner of police (Narela subdivision) and police personnel deployed in Kejriwal’s Z-plus security cover.
Mittal said that around 3pm, when the CM’S car slowed down near the Narela railway crossing, former BJP MLA Neel Daman Khatri, along with his supporters, jumped in front of his vehicle and started raising slogans against Kejriwal.
“Our ACP and other police personnel immediately removed the protesters and provided a safe passage to the CM. Kejriwal attended the function and his vehicle was given safe passage when he left the venue as well. No complaint has been filed by the Delhi government,” the additional spokesperson said. Former MLA Khatri denied attacking the CM and said, “We were protesting against the policies. They are not letting the Metro start the work on Phase-4, which would have benefitted Narela and other parts of Delhi.”