Delhi: Former Delhi Law Minister and AAP MLA Somnath Bharti created a flutter on Monday by saying that "beautiful women" would be able to go out at midnight provided Aam Aadmi Party government takes over policing system in the national capital.
"I am fully confident that if Delhi government is given full freedom (over security), beautiful women will be able to go out even after midnight without any fear. We will provide a fully-secure Delhi,” Bharti had said during a discussion on setting up of 'Commission of Inquiry' in the Delhi Assembly, as per PTI.
His comments were on Tuesday condemned by various political parties and women rights activists while AAP appeared to distance itself from the remarks by its senior legislator.
However, this is not the first time that the AAP leader has courted been amidst controversy.
Following are Bharti's top 5 controversies:
Khirki Extension raid: Soon after AAP had come to power in Delhi, Bharti, the then law minister, had courted controversy when he had allegedly misbehaved with African women during a midnight raid in south Delhi in January, 2014.
On the intervening night of January 15-16, Bharti and his supporters had allegedly forcibly detained and threatened some African women during a confrontation with police in his constituency of Malviya Nagar over inaction against a suspected drug and prostitution ring.
In its chargesheet filed in September last year, police had said that "nine African women were victims of molestation and manhandling by a mob led by Bharti" in Khirki Extension area, as per PTI.
Meeting of judges of Delhi courts: Bharti as law minister had reportedly told the then law secretary AS Yadav, to convene a meeting of all district judges of Delhi.
Reports had then said that he was angry at Yadav for his views.
However, the secretary had refused to do so as it was an issue of protocol. The AAP MLA had then argued that his move to convene a meeting of all judges of Delhi courts was aimed to improve the justice delivery system.
He had denied charges that he was trying to undermine the judiciary.
Bharti's video hurling abuses: Bharti had again courted controversy when a video had resurfaced in which he had reportedly hurled abuses at BJP and Congress. In the video, the current AAP MLA was said to be saying that there were pimps at their midst and that the two parties did not care about the problem of drug racketeering.
Bharti also said, as per the video, that he wanted to spit on the faces of senior lawyer Harish Salve and BJP leader Arun Jaitley, at the same time warning the Delhi Police that he would thrash them.
Indicted for tampering with proof: Somnath was once indicted for tampering with evidence by a court in Patiala, as per reports.
He was allegedly indicted by a special judge of CBI for trying to influence a prosecution witness whom he had reportedly spoken to and discussed the case.
Forcing convenience store to close down: Moreover, Bharti is also allegedly forced a 24-hour convenience store in Saket to close shutters after midnight after barging into it.
He was reported to have asked the manager to produce the licence and when told that it was with the owner, Bharti forced the shop to close down.
Bharti's wife accuses him of domestic violence: And one of the latest controversies hit the AAP MLA when his wife accused him of domestic violence in the month of June.
Bharti's wife Lipika Mitra had accused him of assault and had told the DCW that she was beaten, verbally abused and given death threats.
She had also said that it had been going on since 2010.
