FIR lodged in Bharti assault incident in Varanasi

An FIR has been lodged by police here following a complaint by former Delhi Law Minister and AAP leader Somnath Bharti, in connection with an alleged assault on him by some persons in the city.

Station House Officer of Bhelupur police station V K Singh said that Somnath Bharti on Thursday gave a written complaint in which he mentioned that he was invited by a private news channel's programme, based on which the FIR was filed yesterday.

Bharti said that he was not aware that the programme was being hosted without taking prior permission from the district election office.

"Bharti alleged that when he opposed Narendra Modi during the programme and praised Arvind Kejriwal some persons equipped with sticks attacked and assaulted him. Bharti said his driver somehow managed to drive him away from there to Bhelupur police station," Singh said of the complaint.

Singh said the FIR has been registered under section 144 IPC (joining unlawful assembly armed with deadly weapon) against the mob that attacked Bharti.

As per Bharti's complaint, Singh said that a political science professor of Banaras Hindu University and the private news channel that was hosting the programme without taking permission have been booked under section 188 IPC.

On Thursday Bharti during the programme at Assi Ghat here, he had made some remarks on BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Modi, that had angered the his (Modi) supporters.

Later a heated argument took place which led to a scuffle between AAP and BJP supporters.

A late night release from AAP on the same day had alleged that BJP supporters attacked them when its supporters raised slogan 'Abhi to Sheila hari hai, Ab Modi ki bari hai' after which Modi supporters attacked them.

However, on the same day Bharti had refused to lodge the complaint while he was inside the police station.