'Emergency-like situation in capital'

AAP slams LG, Modi govt after Tomar is arrested

Delhi’s AAP government accused the Centre of unleashing an “emergency-like situation” after its law minister Jitender Singh Tomar was arrested in an ongoing row over the authenticity of his law degree.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia told media that “corrupt leaders were attempting to force an emergency-like situation in Delhi” because of the AAP government’s anti-corruption campaign. But he vowed not to spare the corrupt.

“We won’t spare anyone who tries to stop us from fighting this war against corruption,” he said.

Sisodia alleged that about 40 Delhi Police personnel swooped on Tomar’s office and took him away as if he was a fugitive. “This arrest is illegal. There is an emergency-like situation. Maybe it is an attempt to teach the AAP a lesson,” he said at a news conference here.

His Aam Aadmi Party alleged that it was a scare tactics by Jung and the Narendra Modi government.

“His (Tomar’s) case is under court’s jurisdiction. The university has also filed a reply in court stating his degrees are fine. Then, why this arrest? Was this arrest made to create pressure? LG, Delhi Police Commissioner and Modi government are trying to scare us by court cases and jails? We are not afraid of such things,” AAP leader Sanjay Singh said. 

The Law Minister’s arrest comes two weeks after a large contingent of Delhi Police had gone to Munger to verify documents from a university there.
Singh also alleged that Tomar, an elected member of Delhi Assembly, was arrested without a prior notice.

His party colleague, Ashutosh said, “I am getting information that Jitender Singh Tomar was slapped by Delhi Police officials.”

Ashutosh and party leader Kumar Vishwas led the demonstration by AAP workers outside Vasant Vihar police station, where the law minister was taken to after his arrest. “You can’t arrest him like he is a terrorist,” said Vishwas.

Calling it a ‘black day’ in the political history of Delhi, the Delhi BJP president Satish Upadhyay asked the AAP government to cooperate with the police.

“Nobody is above the law. He hasn’t been arrested for nothing. The police must have investigated thoroughly before arresting him,” he said.

Reacting on Tomar’s arrest, BJP leader Kiran Bedi said, “AAP will cry foul. But police is not involved in politics. Police is accountable to the court.”

But the Congress leader Ajay Maken wanted nothing short of resignations from Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his cabinet colleague.

“He should own up moral responsibility (for his law minister) and should resign. He should also ensure that the law minister also resigns,” Maken said. “I think it’s the first time that a law minister’s ‘law degree’ has been found to be fake. Tomar should explain if he is clean,” he added.

Meanwhile, expelled AAP leader Yogendra Yadav was more direct in his criticism. “If Jitender Tomar’s degree is genuine, why not make them public? Why hide behind court procedures?” he tweeted.