While the Aam Aadmi Party might have declared victory and in its trademark style, congratulated the people of Delhi for having won another battle against establishments other than the party, law minister Somnath Bharti’s problems are far from being over. According to an Indian Express
report, SHO Vijay Pal, who has been now asked to go on leave following Kejriwal’s agitation, is known for his actions against African nationals who didn’t possess proper papers and resided in the areas under Pal’s jurisdiction. He was promoted and given charge of the all-woman police station in Malviya Nagar in Delhi. His promotion followed his commendable work in the Delhi Police Crime Against Woman Cell. Now that he has been asked to go on ’leave’, women’s organisation are up in arms, backing Pal. IE reports: [caption id=“attachment_1352845” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]
Somnath Bharti. AFP.[/caption] “Rallying behind Pal, women’s organisations like the All India Democratic Women’s Association, National Federation of Indian Women, All India Progressive Women’s Association, Centre for Women’s Development Studies as well as others like Act Now For Harmony and Democracy, People’s Union for Civil Liberties have written an open letter to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal urging him to “take appropriate action” against Bharti.” On the other hand, one of the Ugandan nationals who was made to go take a urine sample test identified Delhi Law Minister Bharti as the one who led a mob and entered their house in Khirki Extension. A report on
The Times of India
says: “After the recording of her statement was completed, police listed the Ugandan national as a prosecution witness in the case. She will again testify in court during the trial over the alleged incident.” However, the biggest blow to Bharti might have come from within the party. Since Bharti’s over zealous actions left the party in the spot that it is now, the party seems to have finally asked him to not shoot from the mouth and taint AAP’s now-battered image. Bharti, a lawyer by profession, had also been heard saying that he will spit on the faces of Arun Jaitley and senior lawyer Harish Salve. Noting that Bharti was not allowed to say much yesterday, given that he was in the eye of a storm, ET says that there has been a formal directive issued to the law minister. A senior party leader told
ET
: “The language was completely wrong. The dharna on its own was fine, but the fact that it was being held in the backdrop of Bharti’s remarks, people then started mistaking it as the party’s endorsement of the language used,” another senior member of the political advisory committee of the party told ET." With Kumar Vishwas going on a verbal rampage where he made some derogatory comments about women in Kerala and Bharti on his own power trip, the Aam Aadmi Party needs to train its leaders and ministers in public relations and sophisticated communication as soon as possible. Is Yogendra Yadav listening?
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