Racism for realty: The truth behind Somnath Bharti's midnight raid?

Delhi law Minister Somnath Bharti has remained unapologetic and has refused to relinquish the moral high ground with regards to his much maligned raid on the private residence of three Ugandan women in Khirki extension, vowing to end the ‘sex and drugs racket’ that he insisted was taking place there. Both Bharti and the Aam Aadmi Party have been constantly seeking to justify the vigilante action despite a barrage of criticism from the media, opposition parties and some quarters of the party itself. Noted industry captain Gopinath for one has slammed Bharti for his actions, while AAP founding member Madhu Bhaduri resigned from the party, calling it ‘anti-women’. [caption id=“attachment_1381833” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Image from Somnath Bharti’s Facebook page[/caption] A stubborn Aam Aadmi Party however, staged a one-day dharna demanding strict action against those heading drug and prostitution rackets in the city and most recently have brought up a case of three Ugandan women coming forward to seek protection from ‘drug mafia’ to prove that Bharti’s raid was legitimate. “Those women who had no trust on police and even on their own Ugandan Commission approached our law Minister Somnath Bharti seeking help and protection,” Education and Urban Development Minister Manish Sisodia said. “So those people who were trying to project him as a villain over the midnight raid incident can now see for themselves what is happening there” Problematic as AAP’s lofty declarations of morality are however, a report in the Frontline magazine points to something even more sinister. Titled ‘Properties of prejudice’, the report notes that the Residents’ Welfare Association that ‘complained’ to Bharti about the sex and drugs ‘racket’ in the area is actually a body made up of real estate agents who are trying to throw Khirki extension’s African population out so that it can be ‘sanitised’ and given out to Indians at higher rents. It also adds that ever since the formation of the body about a year ago, attacks on African nationals in the area have increased. The report notes: The Khirki RWA comprises a few old residents of the locality but its primary agenda is driven by property brokers. The association was formed a year ago, not to discuss issues such as poor infrastructure but to drive out African residents. The report further goes on to quote a real estate dealer, identified as Mickey, as saying, “Khirki can be a posh locality. Many Indians want to come here now and are ready to pay more. It is centrally located. Why should we tolerate the Africans and their misconduct?” A previous report in _Firstpost_ by Soumik Mukherjee, also detailed the disgruntlement of the Khirki extension locality against its African tenants. He notes that the RWA in Khirki had recently published a pamphlet proudly claiming that along with their successful installation of CCTV cameras on the streets and the cleaning of sewer lines, they have also somewhat managed to “cleanse” the streets of transgenders and Africans. The report adds: This is not the first time that a local politician has attempted such a populist stunt even at the cost of being labelled a racist, despite his actions drawing considerable flak to the party. In 2011, an underground bar run by a couple of Africans was ransacked by supporters of a vigilante right wing group; the structure of the bar was broken down as it was not authorised. It was a den of anti-social elements, claims a BJP worker in Malaviya Nagar. While Bharti’s vigilante raid has met with approving nods from the RWA and many of the property owners in Khirki extension, it does raise the issue of what AAP really stands for. The entire basis of its existence has been a strong stand against corruption of all forms, and it has not hesitated to call out the various types of ’nexus’ that propagate corruption. Be it the corporate - political nexus, the Police -Mafia nexus or the politician - CBI nexus, AAP has taken strong stands against them all, going so far as to ’name and shame’ a number of big political and corporate honchos including the Adani group, DLF, Robert Vadra, Nitin Gadkari and Narendra Modi. But with Bharti’s actions, it would appear that AAP has no problem in being perceived as supporting the agenda of real estate dealers who utilise racism and fear and distrust of the ‘other’ to chase out African nationals just so that property can be developed and its value driven higher. Can AAP afford to keep justifying its stand on Khirki extension? And for how long?