World's Largest Party Does 'Goondagardi' In Delhi, Says Kejriwal As AAP Moves HC Over Vandalism

In the petition, AAP alleged that the attack was done by BJP workers and appears to have been carried out with Delhi Police's tacit complicity.

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday attacked Bharatiya Janata Party over the alleged attack and vandalism at his official residence.

"If the world's largest and ruling party does such 'goondagardi' in Delhi, then what message will it send to the youth of the country? The country can't progress like this," he said, as quoted by news agency ANI.

"Arvind Kejriwal is not important but the nation is. I can lay down my life for the country," the Delhi Chief Minister added, as reported by PTI.

AAP Moves HC Seeking SIT Probe In Vandalism At Delhi Chief Minister's Residence

This statement comes after Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Saurabh Bhardwaj moved the Delhi High Court against the alleged attack and vandalism at the official residence of the Delhi CM on March 30.

As per ANI, the plea seeks direction for the constitution of a Special Investigation Team to undertake an independent, fair, and time-bound criminal investigation with respect to the attack and its perpetrators.

In the petition, AAP alleged that the attack was done by BJP workers and appears to have been carried out with Delhi Police's tacit complicity.

"Earlier on Wednesday, several BJP goons in the garb of a protest, launched an attack on the official residence of the Delhi CM. The visuals of the incidents show that these goons casually walked through the security cordon (maintained by Delhi Police), kicked and broke the boom barrier, broke the CCTVs cameras with lathis, threw paint on the gate of the residence, and almost climbed over the gate, while Delhi Police personnel simply looked on, doing little to stop the protestors," the plea stated, as reported by ANI.

Saurabh Bhardwaj, sitting MLA from AAP, stressed that the party strongly supports the right to protest peacefully, even if such protest is against the Delhi Government, however, in the name of protest, violence cannot and ought not to be permitted, and condoned.

"In this case, the violence was especially egregious as it was directed toward the Delhi CM and his family. It was meant to subdue, by the use of force, the highest elected official in NCT of Delhi and therefore the elected Government of Delhi. This was a direct attack on democracy," the plea reads.

The AAP leader alleged that those who were charged with the protection of the Delhi CM, that is, Delhi Police, completely abdicated their duty, without any regard for the fact that they were protecting an elected constitutional functionary and the fact that he was given Z plus security by Delhi Police itself.

The plea mentions that the Delhi Police's inaction was in blatant violation of this Court's order dated August 22, 2017, wherein the Delhi Police was directed to ensure that no unnecessary protest takes place on the road in front of the Delhi CM's house, as it is a residential area.

It thus appears that Delhi Police was hand in glove with the goons as the goons are members of the ruling party in the Central Government, which has absolute control over the Delhi Police through the Ministry of Home Affairs, it adds.

The petition points to a similar instance wherein on December 10, 2020, there was an attack on the residence of the Deputy Chief Minister "by BJP Goons, where also, the Delhi Police did not take any steps to stop the attackers and thereafter failed to take any concrete criminal action against the attackers."

(With Agency Inputs)