Delhi chief secretary Anshu Prakash was allegedly manhandled by AAP MLAs at the residence of chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. The incident took place last night, in the presence of the chief minister.
According to lawyer Prashant Patel, AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan manhandled the chief secretary. Others present at the meeting joined him as well. The dispute allegedly revolved around the chief secretary’s reluctance to grant more funds to the Delhi government for advertisements to publicize their work.
https://twitter.com/ippatel/status/965831032040640512
In his complaint, Anshu Prakash stated that the it was no sudden outburst, rather the assault on him was premeditated. He further goes on to state that none of the persons present in the room made any effort to save him. Anshu Prakash said that he was asked to sit between two MLAs. Delhi CM Mr Kejriwal asked him to explain the delay in releasing AAP Government’s 3-year anniversary TV campaign. While he was trying to explain the situation to the Chief Minister, he was he was subjected to verbal assault. As per Anshu Prakash, One MLA, even threatened that him to confined in the room for the entire night unless he agrees to release the TV campaign,” Anshu Prakash mentions that he can identify the Legistlator.
AAP MLAs Amanatullah Khan and one other MLA allegedly beat up Anshu Prakash.
“without any provocation, started hitting and assaulting me and hit several blows with fists on my head and temple,” alleged Anshu Prakash, who went straight to Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal’s house to register a formal complaint.
Full Text of CS Anshu Prakash’s complaint letter to Police:
https://twitter.com/apnnewsindia/status/965915166087946240
The IAS Association is currently holding a meeting regarding the incident. If the association decides to go on strike, it would bring the entire administration of the city to a standstill. This is likely to affect the city and its residents adversely.
It is not the first time that such an incident has taken place. Less than a month back, a delegation led by BJP MP Manoj Tiwari had visited the chief minister’s residence regarding Delhi’s sealing issue. Upon reaching an impasse, the BJP delegation walked out of the meeting. They were greeted by an Aam Aadmi Party mob right outside the chief minister’s residence, which manhandled them. Women mayors belonging to the BJP were manhandled as well. Party legislators, in past, have been accused of holding fake degrees, domestic abuse, inciting communal hatred, hooliganism, vigilantism and large scale corruption.
These incidents raise several questions about the sort of public discourse that AAP and CM Kejriwal endorses. Is there absolutely no place for dissent under him? Will anyone who disagrees with him be at the receiving end of physical abuse? And more importantly, what has he reduced the post of chief minister to, considering these incidents take place at his residence and in his presence? If IAS officers, members of parliament and mayors receive this sort of treatment for disagreeing with Kejriwal, one can only imagine the plight of the common man.