Are AAP leaders above law, asks BJP over Bharti issue

Law minister should resign, says Vardhan

City Law Minister Somnath Bharti has no right to continue in office and people of the capital demand his resignation over tampering of evidence by him during legal practice, BJP leader Harsh Vardhan said on Tuesday.

The BJP leader criticised Bharti over an episode where a CBI special court pulled him up for “highly objectionable” and “unethical” conduct and “tampering with evidence” while defending an accused in a financial fraud case. 

The leader of the opposition in the Delhi Assembly said, “It has been proved that he was caught tampering with evidence in Patiala House Court.”

“Even the judge has observed this. In such a situation, I think the people of Delhi demand Somnath Bharti’s resignation and if Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal talks about ethics, then he should sack his minister,” Vardhan said.

“Kejriwal talks of probity in public life but now is the time for him to act against his colleague,” Vardhan added.

He said Bharti should go as he was earlier involved in another controversy where he misbehaved with the Law Secretary.

“The city demands his resignation. He has no right to be the law minister of the capital,” the BJP leader said.

Delhi BJP chief Vijay Goel also slammed Kejriwal for “shamelessly” defending the law minister and challenging the order of CBI Special Judge Poonam A Bamba who, in her August 26, 2013 order, pulled up Bharti for tampering with evidence in a case of corruption.

“This shameless defence of Bharti by Kejriwal is shocking. We want Bharti to be immediately removed. He is not fit to be the minister,” Goel said. “A person who has been indicted for impropriety and adopting completely unfair and illegal means in a case of corruption by the court itself cannot be allowed to be minister,” he said. 

“How can a chief minister exonerate a minister when he has been indicted by court? Does Kejriwal want to send a message that his party leaders are above the law? If he does not agree with the court verdict, he should go to court. But the argument given so far in defence of Bharti is unacceptable,” Goel added.