Members of the Bharatiya Janata Party youth wing allegedly vandalised property outside the residence of Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal in New Delhi during a protest on Wednesday against his remarks on the film The Kashmir Files, further intensifying the war of words between the two parties.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia lashed out at the BJP, alleging it was a ''conspiracy'' to kill Kejriwal as the saffron party is unable to defeat AAP in elections. The BJP accused AAP of scripting a drama and playing the ''victim card'' after the ''public anger'' against Kejriwal's remarks "mocking" displaced Kashmiri Pandits.
The Delhi police said that a case has been registered against unidentified persons in connection with the incident.
The case was registered under IPC sections 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) and Section 3 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Sagar Singh Kalsi said.
He said an investigation is underway and teams have been dispatched for arrests.
Sisodia alleged that the BJP youth wing activists damaged CCTV cameras as well as security barriers at the chief minister's residence in the presence of Delhi police personnel. They allegedly threw paint on the main gate of the residence.
The protestors, led by BJP Yuva Morcha's national president and MP Tejasvi Surya, were holding a demonstration against Kejriwal's remarks on the recently released controversial movie The Kashmir Files, which is based on the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley after the outbreak of militancy.
The BJP, which has been targeting Kejriwal after he took a swipe at the party for promoting the film, demanded an apology from the chief minister, with Surya asserting that the "victims in this issue are Kashmiri Hindus and not the Aam Aadmi Party and Kejriwal''.
The chief minister's residence is located at 6, Flag Staff Road. The protest started around 11.30 am on Wednesday. The Delhi police said proper arrangements were put in place but some 15-20 protestors managed to reach the Flag Staff road and were immediately removed.
Some of the protesters, at around 1 pm, breached two barricades and reached outside CM House where they created a ruckus and shouted slogans, DCP Kalsi said.
"They were carrying a small box of paint from which they threw paint outside the door. In the melee, a boom barrier arm was also found vandalised as also a CCTV camera. A police team immediately removed them from the spot and detained around 70 persons," he said, adding that legal action was being taken.
A furious AAP launched a scathing attack on the BJP.
"As it could not defeat Arvind Kejriwal in the recent Punjab polls, the BJP now wants to kill him (hatya karna chahta hai). Today's attack on the chief minister's house shows that the BJP, with the help of the police, wants to kill Kejriwal," Sisodia alleged at a press conference at his residence.
He alleged that the "life-threatening attack" on Kejriwal was "properly planned", adding that the Aam Aadmi Party will lodge a formal complaint in connection with the incident.
Taking to Twitter, MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that after AAP's victory in the Punjab elections, the central government is "so terrified" they are hatching an attack on the elected chief minister in collusion with the Delhi Police.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said it was a cowardly act and showed that the BJP is afraid of only AAP and its national convener.
The BJP hit back at AAP and accused Kejriwal of "making a mockery of Kashmiri Hindus who were forced out of their homes by murderous mobs".
"AAP, shaken by the public anger, is scripting a new drama. Remember, those who are startled by an unarmed crowd at their doorstep were the same ones who were making a mockery of Kashmiri Hindus being forced out of their homes by murderous mobs," senior Delhi BJP leader and Rohini MLA Vijendra Gupta tweeted.
Another senior BJP leader alleged that Kejriwal has supported the perpetrators of the "genocide" by claiming that the film depicted "lies".
"You're yelping 'attempted murder' for protestors dabbing paint on your gate? You had no shame laughing callously at Kashmiri Hindus' plight.
'You called the 1st movie depicting their genocide ”lies” despite countless documented cases -You thus supported actual rapists & murderers," BJP's national vice president and Delhi in-charge Jay Panda alleged in a tweet.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP head office in New Delhi, Surya demanded an apology from Kejriwal and said that the AAP leader has insulted Hindus with his remarks about the movie.
"This attempt to whitewash the genocide is injustice on a civilisation. It is a time-tested tactic of urban Naxals.
"Our protest is not against any party and this is not merely regarding The Kashmir Files. This protest is against the inhuman mindset of Kejriwal who denies the Hindu genocide in Kashmir," Surya said.
