Raghav Chadha files police complaint for attack on DJB office

Senior Aam Aadmi Party leader and Delhi Jal Board (DJB) vice-chairman Raghav Chadha on Friday registered an FIR against Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta, a few other leaders of the party and unidentified suspects in connection with the attack on the Jhandewalan office of the water utility.

In his complaint, Chadha said that a group of around 200-250 BJP workers entered DJB’s office premises in central Delhi’s Jhandewalan by breaking barricades and scaling the main gate, as “Delhi Police officials watched in silence”. He further said that the group — led by Gupta — physically assaulted and injured several DJB staff who were on duty and issued “imminent death threats” to him.

A senior police officer, who did not want to be identified, said that a case under the Epidemic Diseases Act, and that under Indian Penal Code sections 188 (disobedience to an order passed by a government servant) and 427 (mischief causing damage) has been registered at Desh Bandhu Gupta Road police station. “We have not made any arrests so far,” said the officer.

As for alleged vandalism inside the DJB premises, the officer said that the board officials will be asked to share details about the damage to property. “Based on that we’ll add sections to the FIR. Friday was a holiday because of which we couldn’t meet the DJB officials,” said the officer.

“The goons of the BJP said that they are disgruntled because Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party have stood in solidarity with protesting farmers, because the AAP government did not allow stadiums to be converted into jails, and because the AAP leaders tore apart copies of the contentious farm laws in the assembly. They also admitted to leading similar attacks at residences of the chief minister and deputy CM Manish Sisodia (earlier this month),” Chadha, who is also spokesperson of the AAP, said at a press conference on Thursday, after the attack.

The BJP have denied the allegations and hit back saying that supporters of the AAP had led the vandalism.

Gupta said the charges levelled against him were baseless. “These are baseless allegations. We had organised a peaceful protest at the DJB office against a scam related to water tankers. A group of people there attacked us and one BJP supporter was severely injured.”

Delhi BJP’s media head Naveen Kumar said: “We went there after Chadha did not take our calls regarding a meeting. There, a group of AAP supporters attacked us and then they vandalised the DJB office to mislead people and divert attention from the water tanker issue. No BJP protester engaged in any violence.”