New Delhi: On a day when Delhi Law Minister Somnath Bharti was summoned by Delhi Commission For Women (DCW) following allegations that a mob led by him had manhandled some Ugandan women at Khirki Extention in Delhi, he was seen flying kites at an event in the national capital.
Instead of appearing before the DCW, Bharti sent his lawyer Rishikesh Kumar on Friday evening to represent himself before the panel in the case.
The commission, however, refused to entertain his lawyer saying that he had no authorisation from Bharti. DCW chief, Barkha Singh said that the commission had called Somnath Bharti but he did not turn up.
The DCW made it clear to Bahrti's lawyer that the authorisation letter must be signed by Bharti. DCW chief Barkha Singh said that the commission had called Somnath Bharti but he did not turn up. "Bharti's lawyer Rishkesh Kumar misbehaved with the members of the commission," a fuming Singh added.
Rishkesh Kumar claimed that the DCW had sent the summons to a wrong address so Bharti didn't get it on time. "Somnath Bharti has received the notice, he wanted an exemption for today only," said Kumar.
The lawyer also assured the DCW that Bharti will appear before it on Monday.
The Ugandan woman, who was targeted in a midnight raid, had identified Bharti and his supporters as the men who manhandled her along with her friend.
The DCW had warned the Law Minister to appear before it or an FIR may be registered against him.
The AAP too is leaving no stone unturned to defend its minister. The party has said it will release video clips of the infamous Khirki Extension raid carried out by Bharti. The party has asserted that the footage will show Bharti did nothing wrong.
The clips were monitored by the party on Thursday night. The AAP has edited the raw footage and sent it to the Delhi Commission for Women.
The AAP has been defending Bharti and has refused to take any action against him for now. AAP leader Yogendra Yadav backed Bharti for the midnight raid in Khirki Extension in Malviya Nagar and said that there was no evidence against him.
"Impression about Somnath Bharti during the midnight raid was mistaken. Prima facie there is no evidence against Somnath Bharti," party leader Yogendra Yadav had said, adding that an independent inquiry had been set up to probe the case against him.
He said that Bharti had acted on the complaints against drug trafficking and prostitution in the area that they had been receiving since a long time.
However, demands to sack Bharti have been growing louder. Rebel AAP MLA Vinod Kumar Binny had met the Delhi Police Commissioner over the midnight raid controversy involving Bharti. Binny said Bharti should have resigned.
The Bharatiya Janata Party too protested against Somnath Bharti. The Delhi BJP was staging sit-ins at 14 places on Friday to press for the resignation of Somnath Bharti. Vijay Goel along with Arti Mehra and Vijay Malhotra held a dharna at Yusuf Sarai metro station and Dr Harsh Vardhan attacked the AAP at an agitation at Madhuban Chowk.
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