Delhi Congress MCD candidate's father, who allegedly abused cop, arrested

The incident happened when Asif Mohammad Khan, a former Congress MLA, was addressing a gathering near a mosque in Shaheen Bagh along with supporters. A Delhi Police constable asked Asif if he has prior permission for the gathering from the Election Commission.

Former Congress MLA Asif Mohammad Khan, whose daughter Ariba Khan is a candidate in the forthcoming Delhi MCD polls, was arrested on Saturday after a video surfaced of him allegedly abusing and manhandling a police officer in Delhi's Jamia Nagar the day before. A case was registered against him on Friday soon after the incident came to light.

Delhi Police. (PTI Photo) (Representation purpose)

Two others identified as Saabir and Minhaaz have also been detained by the Delhi Police in connection with the case.

The incident took place when Asif was using a megaphone to address a crowd while gathered near Tayyab Masjid in Shaheen Bagh along with his supporters. The constable in question asked him not to do so without prior permission from the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Police said that when the constable asked Asif if he had ECI's permission or not, the former legislator turned aggressive and began misbehaving with him. “Asif used abusive language and manhandled the constable. A complaint was registered against Asif in Shaheen Bagh police station and an investigation is underway,” ANI quoted the Delhi Police as saying.

Asif has been arrested under section 186/353 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Police are also conducting searches at various places in search of the remaining two accused in the case of abuse and manhandling the constable.

Delhi BJP leader Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga took to Twitter on Friday to share a video of the incident.

HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.

Ariba, meanwhile, has alleged that nearly 50 to 60 police personnel forcibly entered their house in Shaheen Bagh and dragged her father away. She further alleged that policemen misbehaved with her too and broke one of her fingers during the arrest of the former MLA.

"They also snatched away our phones. The police personnel took away my father and their supporters also," Ariba, who is the Congress party's MCD candidate from Shaheen Bagh, was quoted as saying by PTI.

Soon after the incident came to light, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla took a swipe at Congress for using “divide and rule vote bank politics”. “Not only should EC take the strongest action, but will Congress sack this rowdy and cancel his family ka ticket?” he tweeted.

The Delhi MCD elections are scheduled for December 4 and the results will be released on December 7. The BJP, which has been ruling for 15 years, is aiming to retain power.