AAP levels graft charges against south Delhi municipality councillor

Showing a video clip, which Senior AAP leader Saurabh Bhardwaj said was shot Wednesday afternoon, he claimed that BJP municipal councillor Sanjay Thakur had made his way to a building, which is under construction, “to extort money” .

Bhardwaj said the person who allegedly attacked Thakur was a BJP functionary. (ANI)

Senior Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) leader Saurabh Bhardwaj on Thursday alleged that Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) municipal councillor from south Delhi’s Saidulajab, Sanjay Thakur, was gheraoed by locals in his area after he asked for a bribe during an ongoing construction of a building.

Thakur denied the allegations as “baseless and false”.

Addressing a press conference, AAP spokesperson Bhardwaj said, “Sanjay Thakur has a nexus with builders in his area, giving them a free hand to carry out construction activities. When someone other than the local builders come into the picture and tries to build anything, then this nexus extorts money from them. Many complaints of fraud have been lodged against the councillor, but Delhi Police has not taken any action against him.”

Showing a video clip, which Bhardwaj said was shot Wednesday afternoon, he claimed that Thakur had made his way to a building, which is under construction, “to extort money” . “People, however, resisted and gheraoed him, before calling the police…This video is from C-69, Freedom Fighter Colony, where a building is being constructed. The video shows that there is an argument going on with regard to the exchange of money,” Bhardwaj said.

HT could not independently verify the video clip.

The AAP leader went on to allege that a complaint regarding occupying government land was registered against Thakur in 1997 and last year on June 10, another complaint was registered against him for forcefully gaining control over a person’s house in Greater Kailash.

Thakur said that the AAP was levelling allegations against him to cover up the wrongdoings by its own workers.

“An AAP worker had constructed several flats on forest land in my area, but their party is mum on that. I have registered complaints against these illegal constructions, but AAP goons attacked me on Wednesday. All the allegations made against me are baseless and false. They have a political agenda against me that’s why they are resorting to these tactics. They are in the habit of levelling false allegations,” Thakur said.

Bhardwaj said the person who allegedly attacked Thakur was a BJP functionary. “The lady who is seen in the video leading the protest, which he termed as an attack, is also a BJP functionary. He should have registered an FIR if he was attacked. Delhi Police is in control of the BJP, then why did he not file an FIR,” Bhardwaj responding to Thakur’s allegation.

Delhi BJP spokespersons refused to comment on the matter.