New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday alleged that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Abhay Verma had abused and slapped a Delhi sanitation worker. Kuldeep Kumar, an AAP MLA, claimed that the BJP, which had previously been in power in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), had "halted the salaries of the sanitation workers". He stated that it is now "venting out its frustration" by targeting AAP after being defeated in the civic body election.
Verma and the Delhi BJP did not immediately respond to the allegations made by the AAP.
“Laxmi Nagar MLA Abhay Verma had asked the sanitation worker for the keys to a room adjacent to a public toilet. Since the worker couldn’t give the keys, he was slapped by the BJP MLA,” Kumar alleged.
“The BJP has stooped so low that they are now venting out the frustration of being defeated in the MCD election, on the sanitation workers,” he said.
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Meanwhile, the MCD filed a complaint with the Delhi Police on Thursday against "unidentified goons having close association" with BJP MLA Abhay Verma.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) requested severe action against the perpetrators in a letter to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) because the incident involved physical assault, threats, and public humiliation.
However, the matter has not yet been the subject of an FIR.
The civic body has cited a rumored video that is circulating on social media and depicts a group of men assaulting the MCD employee.
"An incident that occurred on 28.12.2022 has come to the notice of the undersigned wherein, a Paryawaran Sahayak named Amit employed with MCD department was beaten up by some unidentified goons having close association with Abhay Verma, MLA, Laxmi Nagar," the letter read.
"It is requested that an FIR may be filed taking into cognizance the gravity of the aforesaid incident. A copy of the said video is being forwarded to you on your official e-mail ID separately," the letter read.
A senior police officer confirmed that they had received a complaint.
Rakhi Birla, a senior leader of the AAP, stated that they would write to the commissioner of the Delhi Police for the "safety" of sanitation workers in the national capital and also contact the local police to demand an FIR against Verma in the matter.
"BJP’s actions reflect their mindset that the party has always been anti-Dalit and only views them as a ‘vote-bank’ factor. We strongly criticise this act of Abhay Verma and we will also write to the Delhi police commissioner for the safety of the sanitation workers here. No matter what the situation is, a political leader can’t get violent with anyone. This is unacceptable,” Birla stated as quoted by PTI.
(With PTI Inputs)