New Delhi: The Delhi Assembly today strongly reacted to an act of “soil throwing” by supporters of Swaraj Abhiyan who were allegedly allowed to enter the premises of Vidhan Sabha complex by AAP’s rebel MLA Pankaj Pushkar. According to Speaker Ram Niwas Goel, five persons, who were allegedly permitted by Pushkar to enter the Assembly premises at around 6.30 PM last evening entered the chamber of Transport Minister Gopal Rai and misbehaved with him.
Police have arrested four persons in connection with the incident for alleged trespassing and other relevant section of Indian Penal Code, DCP (North) Madhur Verma said. However, Timarpur legislator Pushkar, denied the charges. Meanwhile, leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta accused a senior Delhi government official of mistreating media personnel covering the incident.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia expressed hope that the Delhi police would act promptly against the alleged act of vandalism. “This is a test case for police.”
Transport Minister Gopal Rai said that he was holding a meeting with department officials when five people “barged in” and threw soil around and “started abusing”. “We know how to fight traitors. When we threw such traitors out of the party, the electoral tally went up from 28 to 67. I demand strict action against them,” Rai said.
Swaraj Abhiyan claimed that these men were carrying soil of Ramlila Maidan in a bid to remind the AAP MLAs of the party’s “forgotten promises” to enact a strong and independent Janlokpal.
“They were not only detained unlawfully but also abused and threatened by a senior AAP leader,” a spokesperson of the group floated by expelled AAP leaders Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan said.
