Bharti spouse complaint: Why is Kejriwal silent, asks DCW chief

The DCW chairperson today questioned Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's silence on the allegations levelled against AAP MLA Somnath Bharti by his wife and wondered whether he would take "proactive" steps to protect the AAP MLA as he had done when Kumar Vishwas had faced a row.

"Why is the Delhi chief minister silent?

"I want to know whether Kejriwal, who had taken a proactive stance to protect Kumar Vishwas, will do the same for Somnath Bharti, whose wife has levelled charges of dowry, cheating and domestic violence against him," said Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chairperson Barkha Shukla Singh.

She also said that Kejriwal should ask AAP MLA and former Delhi law minister Bharti to resign. She also demanded that Bharti should make a public apology for his alleged wrongdoings.

DCW had summoned Vishwas last month after a woman AAP volunteer had approached it accusing the party leader of not dispelling "false rumours" about him having an illicit relationship with her.

Kejriwal at the time had described the matter as "despicable" and said that "AAP would prefer to be silent as families of party leaders were being targeted in the name of politics".

Referring to those comments, Singh today said, "Will the chief minister still call it politics. Kejriwal had also defended Bharti when some Ugandan women had complained to the Commission against him after the midnight crackdown in his constituency. Will he defend him this time also?"

Bharti's wife Lipika yesterday filed a complaint with DCW of domestic violence by her husband.

"The couple had met on 'shaadi.com' and Bharti had told her lies about owning an international law firm. The couple married in 2010 and Bharti had demanded a car and house as dowry from her.

"She has also complained of physical and mental torture. After making her complaint, she is scared for her life," the DCW chief said.

In her 26-page complaint, Lipika alleged that her children and she "are subject to continuous physical and mental torture by my husband. There is a persistent threat to life from my husband and his supporters. This has been going on since 2010.

"He had set his dog on me when I was seven-months pregnant," she has alleged.
DCW has issued a notice to Bharti, the AAP MLA from Malviya Nagar, to appear before it by June 26.