BJP activists clashed with police outside Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence on Wednesday in protest of his comments on the recently released film ‘The Kashmir Files’, accusing him of mocking the strategic killing of Kashmiri scholars.
BJYM activists, led by its president Tejaswi Surya, staged a protest at Kejriwal’s residence, demanding his apology for “insulting” Kashmiri scholars. Visual footage of the protest showed several people carrying BJP flags clashing with police at a barricade outside the chief minister’s residence.
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has alleged that activists attacked and damaged security barriers at Kejriwal’s residence along with CCTV cameras. He claimed that anti-social elements had attacked and damaged CCTV cameras and security barriers at Kejriwal’s residence in Delhi. The boom barrier at the gate was also broken, he said. “BJP thugs have taken refuge in vandalism of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. BJP police took them to the gate of the house instead of stopping them, ”Sisodia said in another tweet.
Speaking at a press conference, Sisodia accused the BJP of trying to “assassinate” Kejriwal after the AAP’s victory in Punjab, where it destroyed other parties in the just-concluded assembly elections. “I want to tell the BJP – if you conspire to assassinate Kejriwal, the country will not tolerate it. The BJP got zero seats in Punjab and the AAP scored big. The BJP cannot defeat the AAP politically and so they want to assassinate Kejriwal. We will file a case in this regard. ”
About 150-200 protesters from the BJP Youth Front were protesting outside the chief minister’s residence, Delhi Police said. “Around 1pm, some protesters broke through two barricades and reached outside the CM House where they started rioting, chanting slogans and so on. They were carrying a small box of paint from which they threw the paint out the door. In the stalemate, the arm of a boom barrier was also smashed and a CCTV camera was also found. Police immediately removed them from the scene and detained about 60 people. Legal action is being taken. ”
Delhi Police has filed a case against unknown persons in connection with the vandalism. The lawsuit was filed under Sections 186 (barring a government employee from performing official duties), 188 (disobeying an order issued by a government employee), 353 (assault or criminal force to prevent a government employee from performing his duties) and 332. Section 3 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Prevention of Damage to Property Act voluntarily injures a government employee to discharge his duties, Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Sagar Singh Kalsi said.
He added that an investigation has been started and a team has been sent for arrest.
Kejriwal sparked a controversy when he said that instead of demanding tax-free release of Kashmir files, they could upload it on YouTube. Accusing Kejriwal of smiling while talking about the film and insulting the plight of Kashmiri pundits, BJP leaders, including the state chief minister, have sharply criticized the Delhi chief minister.
Explaining his position, the Delhi chief minister said Kashmiri scholars were important to him, not movies. “Isn’t it insensitive that even after 8 years in power, BJP has to promote a movie, put up posters?” We were not laughing at Kashmiri scholars, we were laughing at the BJP. The Kashmir files may be important for the BJP, but the Kashmiri scholars are important to me, “Kejriwal said in a later interview.
(With PTI input)
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