Chorus for sacking of city Law Minister gets louder

The BJP and Congress on Sunday slammed Law Minister Somnath Bharti for not quitting from the post despite a trial court’s direction to police to lodge an FIR over his recent “raid” against suspected prostitution and drugs racket in south Delhi. The matter relates to the alleged criminal intimidation of four women from Nigeria and Uganda during his “raid”.

The Delhi Congress sought Bharti’s arrest.

Former police officer and Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights Chairperson Amod Kanth, who conducted a personal inquiry into the incident, said, “The errant law minister must be asked to go.”

Later in the evening, an FIR over the incident was registered with Malviya Nagar police station against unknown people for criminal intimidation, trespass and mischief. Bharti was not named in the FIR.

Delhi BJP chief Vijay Goel said the party’s stand of demanding resignation of Bharati has been vindicated by the court order of registering FIR. “After a court’s order to register an FIR in the case involving Bharati with several AAP workers, the minister should be removed immediately,” he said.

“Bharti is a symbol of the AAP style of governance which is racist, discriminatory, violent and anarchic. The sooner Delhiites can get rid of the AAP regime, the better it will be for the people.”

“Kejriwal’s bluff of taking high moral ground on all issues has been called off now. He is protecting his law minister who has emerged as the biggest law-breaker in the government,” Goel said, pressing for immediate removal of Bharati from the cabinet.

The Delhi Congress too launched an attack on Bharti and announced a demonstration by the Delhi Pradesh Mahila Congress outside the police headquarters on Monday to demand the law minister’s arrest.

The demonstration will coincide with Kejriwal’s proposed protest against the union home ministry for not suspending policemen who allegedly did not co-operate with Bharti during his “raid” on houses of women and Nigeria and Uganda in Khirki Extension area in south Delhi’s Malviya Nagar constituency.

Addressing a Delhi Congress meeting, city unit chief Arvinder Singh called the AAP government as “anti-women” and alleged Kejriwal had failed to give security to women. “Not only did the law minister of Delhi take the law into his own hand but also insulted women,” he said.

The manner in which foreign women were assaulted would not be tolerated by the civil society, he added.

Arvinder Singh, in a joint conference with former legislator Mukesh Sharma, said the party will not keep quite till Bharti is arrested.