BJP workers on Wednesday clashed with the police outside Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence during a protest against his remarks on the recently released movie ‘The Kashmir Files’, accusing him of mocking the strategic killing of Kashmiri Pandits.
Activists of BJYM led by its president Tejasvi Surya staged a protest at Kejriwal’s residence, demanding his apology for “insulting” Kashmiri Pandits. Visuals of the protest showed several people carrying BJP flags clashing with the police at the barricade placed outside the chief minister’s residence.
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia alleged that the activists attacked and damaged CCTV cameras as well as security barriers at Kejriwal’s residence. He claimed anti-social elements 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. “The goons of BJP resorted to vandalism at CM Arvind Kejriwal. BJP’s police instead of stopping them, took them to the gate of the house,” Sisodia said in another tweet.
Addressing a press conference, Sisodia accused the BJP of wanting to “murder” Kejriwal after the AAP’s sweep in Punjab where it decimated other parties in the recently concluded assembly elections. “I want to tell the BJP — if you conspire to murder Kejriwal, the country will not tolerate it. BJP got zero seats in Punjab and AAP scored big. BJP cannot defeat AAP politically and so it wants to murder Kejriwal. We will file a case in the incident.”
Delhi Police said around 150-200 protestors of BJP Yuva Morcha were protesting outside the CM’s residence. “At around 1 pm, some of the protestors breached two barricades and reached outside CM House where they created ruckus, shouted slogans etc. They were carrying a small box of paint from which they threw paint outside the door. In the imbroglio, a boom barrier arm is also found vandalised as also a CCTV camera. The police team immediately removed them from the spot and detained around 70 persons. Legal action is being initiated.”
Delhi Police has registered a case against unidentified people in connection with the vandalism. The case has been filed under sections 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and section 3 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Sagar Singh Kalsi said.
A probe has been launched and teams have been dispatched for arrests, he added.
Kejriwal had triggered a controversy after he said instead of demanding to make the movie The Kashmir Files tax free, they can upload it on YouTube. Accusing Kejriwal of laughing as he was talking about the movie and thereby insulting the suffering of the Kashmiri Pandits, BJP leaders including state chief ministers strongly criticised the Delhi chief minister.
Clarifying his stand, the Delhi chief minister said for him, Kashmiri Pandits are important, not the movie. “Isn’t it insensitive that BJP even after 8 years of being in power has to promote a movie, has to put up its posters? We were not laughing at Kashmiri Pandits, but at the BJP. Kashmir Files may be important for the BJP, but for me Kashmiri Pandits are important,” Kejriwal later said in an interview.
(With PTI inputs)
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