New Delhi:

AAP leaders on Sunday lodged two police complaints against BJP MLA and Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta, accusing him of caste discrimination and physically assaulting a female bus marshal outside the Lieutenant Governor’s house.

The assault alleged in a complaint by Delhi minster Saurabh Bharadwaj took place on Saturday while a group of marshals and MLAs of both AAP and BJP were at the LG’s residence to seek his approval for reinstating the civil volunteers who were removed last year, a party statement said.

The development follows an FIR lodged by Vijender Gupta against Saurabh Bharadwaj and three AAP MLAs for indulging in “indecent behaviour” that led to a fight at the Secretariat and outside the LG VK Saxena’s house on Saturday.

According to a statement by AAP, a female bus marshal Pankaj told Saurabh Bharadwaj that Vijender Gupta had allegedly kicked her.

Delhi Assembly Deputy Speaker Rakhi Birla also filed a separate complaint against Vijender Gupta, alleging caste-based harassment, the statement said.

“We haven’t been able to get in touch with two female bus marshals since yesterday. One was kicked by Vijender Gupta, and another was hit by a police officer. We fear for their safety and have formally lodged a complaint,” Saurabh Bharadwaj said.

He accused Vijender Gupta of misusing police machinery to file false cases against AAP MLAs and the bus marshals.

“Vijender Gupta has been exposed. Out of frustration, he is now trying to implicate AAP leaders and innocent bus marshals in false cases. The LG’s office and the BJP MLA are misusing the police to stop the volunteers from demanding their rights,” Saurabh Bharadwaj said.

As per the statement, the incident happened when Vijender Gupta came out of the LG house, and the bus marshals asked him about the cabinet note that was submitted to Saxena.

BJP MLAs had accompanied AAP legislators and Chief Minister Atishi to the LG house to submit a cabinet note on reinstating the bus marshals.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

File picture of AAP leader Manish Sisodia
| Photo Credit: PTI

Aam Aadmi Party leaders lauded the Supreme Court’s pronouncement of bail for party chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

“Satyameva Jayate — the locks of the dictator’s prison are broken by the power of truth,” senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia said in a post in Hindi on social media platform X.

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“Today, truth has once again won the battle against lies and conspiracies. Once again, I bow down to the thinking and foresight of Baba Saheb Ambedkar ji, who 75 years ago had strengthened the common man against any future dictator,” Mr. Sisodia said.

The Supreme Court on Friday (September 13, 2024) granted bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the case registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy.

Atishi, Sanjay Singh, Raghav Chadha react

“Satyamev Jayate.. Truth can be troubled, but not defeated,” wrote AAP leader and Delhi Minister Atishi on X.

AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said that “false cases” by the ED, CBI and BJP were “exposed”.

“Dictatorship will not work in democracy… Dictators bow down, someone who fights is needed. Modi’s tyrannical rule could not break the spirit of Arvind Kejriwal… A mountain of lies is falling, ED, CBI, BJP’s false case has been exposed…,” he wrote on X.

Another AAP MP Raghav Chadha welcomed back the Chief Minister and thanked the top court.

“Welcome back Arvind Kejriwal, we missed you! Truth can be troubled but not defeated! Finally, the Honourable Supreme Court has given its decision to release Delhi’s son Arvind Kejriwal from the shackles of jail. Thanks to Honorable Supreme Court!” he wrote.

The AAP supremo will now be able to walk out of jail having been previously granted interim bail in the money laundering case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).