Delhi sealing: BJP leader Manoj Tiwari defends action, says broke lock to maintain law and order

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NEW DELHI: Justifying his action of breaking the lock in the Delhi sealing case, Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party chief Manoj Tiwari told the Supreme Court on Tuesday said that he was guided by the urge to maintain law and order among people present at the scene. 

“Large number of people had gathered in protest and could have lead to law and order problem,” Tiwari's counsel told the top court. 

The action of breaking seal does not amount to contempt as the premise was not sealed on the direction of court or court-appointed monitoring committee, he added.

“Judges sit in this cosy area where nobody comes to question them. People question me (Manoj Tiwari), I am responsible,” said Tiwari's counsel.

The SC responded that Delhi MP should have approached authority instead of taking the matter in his own hand.

During the hearing, counsel of monitoring committee told the top court that the issue became a political battle. 

“Instead of sending Tiwari to jail for contempt of court action as he broke lock of a sealed property, he should be penalised with the heavy amount that would pinch him and other people don’t do same act in future,” said the counsel of monitoring committee. 

A controversy emerged after video allegedly showed the Delhi BJP chief breaking the lock of a sealed house on September 16.

Tiwari told PTI that he was on a visit to Gokalpur where he was informed by locals that only one house among the 1,000 was sealed by the municipal corporation.

"I broke the seal against pick and choose policy by the corporation. The locals claimed all the houses were illegally constructed but a particular house was singled out for action by the corporation," he said.

Tiwari said he "wanted to appeal" to the Supreme Court and its monitoring committee to ensure that no such "pick and choose" action was taken in the name of the sealing drive.