Somnath Bharti to appear before DCW; PIL against AAP dharna in SC

Zee Media Bureau New Delhi: The Supreme Court will take up for a hearing a PIL seeking action against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Law Minister Somnath Bharti for resorting to “agitation and street fight” for removal of some police officials.

The PIL filed by an advocate seeks arrest of Kejriwal and Bharti. The petitioner has alleged that the dharna by Kejriwal and Bharti is a violation of law as they are holding constitutional posts and they cannot agitate on the streets against other constitutional authorities. Advocate ML Sharma, in his petition, has alleged that the Chief Minister is “trying to protect his minister Bharti from investigation/prosecution” in connection with an FIR filed by four foreign women alleging they were harassed by a group of persons who barged into their house at midnight on 15-16 January and assaulted them. The FIR has been lodged on the direction of a Delhi court which passed the order on the plea of the four women- two Nigerian and two Ugandan nationals. Kejriwal and his ministerial colleagues had sat on a dharna outside Rail Bhawan to demanding action against the police officials who refused to raid an alleged drug and prostitution ring in South Delhi. The agitation ended after Lt Governor Najeeb Jung agreed to send the police officials on paid leave. Meanwhile, Somnath Bharti has finally decided to appear before the Delhi Commission for Women. He is likely appear before the commission by 2 pm – DCW had set a 3 pm deadline. Bharti is in trouble over the raid after seven Ugandan women have approached the police to register an Fir against him for threatening them and using racial slurs. However, AAP has ruled out Bharti`s resignation and said that Mr Bharti should in fact be "lauded for his efforts to address people`s grievances." (With PTI inputs)