Plot to kill Kejriwal, says AAP after vandalism at Delhi CM’s house

Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said the AAP’s victory in the Punjab assembly has left the BJP flustered.

Protesters led by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Bangalore South Tejasvi Surya vandalised property at Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s house and clashed with the police demonstrating against the AAP leader’s comments on the movie The Kashmir Files even as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) party hit back saying the saffron party wants to kill Kejriwal after its defeat in the Punjab assembly elections.

A damaged boom barrier outside Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s residence, on Wednesday. (Sanchit Khanna/HT)

Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said the AAP’s victory in the Punjab assembly has left the BJP flustered. “As it could not defeat Arvind Kejriwal in the Punjab polls, the BJP now wants to kill him (hatya karna chahta hai). Today’s attack on the chief minister’s house shows that the BJP, with the help of police, wants to kill Kejriwal. We will lodge a formal complaint against this,” Sisodia said.

He added that the “life-threatening attack” on Kejriwal was “properly planned”.

Sisodia said the BJP was in panic mode since the AAP was getting support from all sections of society. “The attack on Kejriwal-ji by the goons of the BJP is an attack of the people of India, and they will give a befitting reply to the BJP,” the deputy CM said.

Activists of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) led by the Bangalore MP shouted slogans against the Delhi chief minister near his residence on Wednesday demanding an apology from him over allegedly mocking the plight of the Kashmiri Pandits. Some members, including Surya, managed to reach the main gate of the CM’s residence , threw paint on the steel door, damaged a boom barrier and CCTV installed near the gate, police said.

Addressing a press conference after the protest, Surya said, “He (Kejriwal) mocked and called the massacre of Kashmiri Pandits untrue (in Vidhan Sabha). We demand unconditional apology from him and until he issues an apology our protests will continue.”

“This protest is not to favour a movie or regarding the ‘The Kashmir Files’. This protest is against the inhuman mindset of Kejriwal who denies the Hindu genocide in Kashmir,” Surya said.

Referring to Sisodia’s statement that it was an attempt to kill Kejriwal, Surya said, “We wanted to meet him (Kejriwal) and express our anguish. Manish Sisodia’s comment that it was an attempt to assassinate Kejriwal can only be described as hysterical and a figment of his imagination,” the BJP MP said.

AAP MLA Atishi alleged police inaction and asked how the BJP workers were able to reach the CM’s house. “Shocking! What was @DelhiPolice doing when BJP workers and leaders were doing rampage at CM @ArvindKejriwal ’s residence?” she tweeted.

The Delhi Police said that an FIR has been lodged against unknown miscreants under various sections of Indian Penal Code at the Civil Lines police station. The police said they detained 70 persons, who were later released.

Sagar Singh Kalsi, deputy commissioner of police (north), said that at around 11.30am, a dharna was started by around 150-200 protestors of BJYM outside the CM residence at Link road near IP College. “The agitation was staged against the alleged remarks of Delhi CM in Vidhan Sabha regarding the movie, The Kashmir Files. At around 1pm, some of the protesters breached the barricades and reached outside CM’s residence, where they created ruckus and shouted slogans. They also threw paint on the door of the CM’s house. A boom barrier and a CCTV camera there were also vandalised,” he said.

Last Thursday, while speaking in the Delhi assembly Kejriwal slammed the BJP for endorsing The Kashmir Files. In response to a demand by some BJP legislators that the movie be made tax-free, Kejriwal asked BJP members if this is what they have joined politics for? He added that while the filmmaker was minting crores, the BJP members were reduced to promoting the movie and sticking up its posters.

“Is this why you have joined politics? To put up posters of films? What would you tell your children when they ask about your work. Movie ka poster lagata hoon? (I put up film posters)”, the AAP chief said.

He also suggested that the filmmaker should upload the movie on YouTube if the movie was really made in the public interest.

After the BJP targeted him for his comments, the Delhi CM, in an interview to a TV channel, clarified that all he had demanded was that everyone should rise above the party line and work for the rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits in the Valley.

Calling the exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits a “huge tragedy” and “injustice”, Kejriwal said,“For BJP, The Kashmir Files is important. For me, Kashmiri Pandits are more important. When Pandits migrated from Kashmir, 233 Pandits had joined the Delhi government as contract teachers in 1993. When our government came, we made all of them permanent. We didn’t make a film on them.”