Opposition urges police to file FIR against Kejriwal

New Delhi :  Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, Vijender Gupta on Thursday urged the police to file an FIR against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and three other AAP ministers for “forcible occupation” of the Lt. Governor’s (LG) Office in June.

Kejriwal with his deputy Manish Sisodia and ministers Satyendar Jain and Gopal Rai camped in Raj Niwas, the official accommodation-cum-office of Lt. Governor Anil Baijal from June 11 to 19 to press for acceptance of their demands.

Calling the sit-in a “criminal conspiracy” and “forcible occupation”, Gupta, in his complaint to the Deputy Police Commissioner, Civil Lines, said that the four ministers were “guilty of criminal dereliction of their constitutional duties which they were bound to perform as the senior most Delhi Government functionaries”.

“The probe must investigate as to how the Chief Minister and his ministers stayed away from discharging their duties and responsibilities in the most demanding times including water, environment crisis, and pre-monsoon desiliting of drains,” Gupta said in his complaint.

He said that the “illegal and deceitful dharna” was an “attack on constitutional authorities and democratic principles”.

“The LG occupies a constitutional post. He represents the President of India. Any attack on him is an attack on our Constitution and democracy values,” Gupta asserted.

“… It was illegal and unauthorised to pressurise the LG to bow to their illegal demands.”

On Wednesday, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party government had lodged an FIR with the Delhi Police against a counter protest staged by Bharatiya Janata Party members outside Kejriwal’s office at the Delhi Secretariat.

The protest was led by Gupta, BJP MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa and suspended AAP MLA Kapil Mishra.

Published on: Aug 9, 2018 at 17:32 IST

IANS