False case was filed in ex-chief secy assault matter: Delhi deputy CM Sisodia

Sisodia’s comments came after a Delhi court on Wednesday discharged Kejriwal, Sisodia, and nine other Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs in the connection with the case of assault on former chief secretary Anshu Prakash in 2018.

Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Wednesday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of misusing its power to file a “false case” against chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in connection with the alleged assault on former Delhi chief secretary Anshu Prakash.

Sisodia also alleged that the Union government failed to manage the Covid-19 crisis because they were busy “spying” on Opposition leaders. (HT Photo)

Sisodia further alleged that the Union government failed to manage the Covid-19 crisis because they were busy “spying” on Opposition leaders, and asserted that the BJP was scared of the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) popularity.

The BJP dismissed the allegations as “baseless”.

Sisodia’s comments came after a Delhi court on Wednesday discharged Kejriwal, Sisodia, and nine other Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs in the connection with the case of assault on former chief secretary Anshu Prakash in 2018. The court, however, framed charges against AAP MLAs Prakash Jarwal and Amanatullah Khan under Sections 186, 353, and other relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

In his police complaint in February 2018, Prakash alleged that Kejriwal, Sisodia, and 11 AAP MLAs assaulted him in a midnight meeting called by the CM’s former adviser VK Jain on February 19, 2018, to discuss release of the party’s advertisements related to the government completing three years in Delhi.

Prakash alleged that he was manhandled and assaulted in the course of the meeting.

Reacting to the court’s decision, Kejriwal tweeted, “Satyameva Jayate” (the truth prevails).

Sisodia, in a video briefing later, said: “Arvind Kejriwal has become the most popular leader of the country due to his honesty and good governance model. BJP is scared of Arvind Kejriwal’s popularity, so a false police case was made against him by the BJP which misused its power in the central government. Delhi Police reports to them. The CM’s house and office were raided. He was treated like a terrorist. This is the first incident after independence when such a raid was conducted in the house and office of a sitting CM. The police kept interrogating him for six hours continuously.

“Officers were forcibly stopped from working for the public good for six months by the BJP which hatched this conspiracy… Today, the Central Government has become so busy in spying on the Opposition, obstructing governance in states led by Opposition parties and conspiracies that they are failing in managing difficult situations in the country. The failure of the central government can also be seen in the mismanagement of Covid-19 crisis.”

Dismissing the allegations, the BJP’s Delhi unit spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said, “The court fixing charges against two AAP MLAs in the case of beating and scuffle with former chief secretary Anshu Prakash proves that the chief secretary was actually beaten that night in CM’s residence. The AAP government is now trying to hide this fact with baseless allegations. CM Arvind Kejriwal and some MLAs may have been given clean chit due to lack of sustainable evidence but the incident took place in CM’s presence and thus the Chief Minister is morally responsible. The CM should come forward and apologise to Mr Anshu Prakash and people of Delhi.”