Three days after an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor was beaten up by BJP councillors during a joint meeting of the three municipal corporations, the police are yet to file an FIR and the corporations still have not appointed an inquiry committee.
Rakesh Kumar, the AAP’s councillor from Kucha Pandit ward of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation, was roughed up when he put on a cap with the party’s broom symbol during the meeting at Ramlila Maidan on Thursday.
Several BJP councillors were caught on video thrashing Mr. Kumar, who belongs to the Dalit community.
“I identified three BJP councillors and one of their party workers while playing back the video for the police. The police are intentionally delaying the filing of an FIR as they take commands from the Centre, and the accused are of the same party,” said Mr. Kumar.
He said that the BJP councillors had not only beaten him and snatched his cap, but also used abuses aimed at his caste. He said he would be meeting the chairperson of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes on Monday.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Police passed the buck to the BJP-ruled corporations.
Passing responsibility
A senior Delhi Police officer confirmed that an FIR had not been registered, but the matter referred to the Mayors of the corporations.
The officer said it was for the corporations to undertake an internal inquiry and take disciplinary action.
He added that the police would act only if the corporations referred the case to them.
The South Delhi Municipal Corporation, of which the councillors accused in the incident are members of, had yet to initiate an inquiry as of Saturday evening. Leader of the House Subhash Arya said that the police did not require the consent of the Mayor to file an FIR.
“They can file a case, but the actual action will be taken within the corporation. We will set up an inquiry, but we haven’t appointed the members of the committee yet,” said Mr. Arya.
The Opposition Congress, however, said that there should have been immediate action against those accused.
“Firstly, it was not an official meeting of the House as there is no provision for a joint session. And had it been, the municipal corporations’ House does not enjoy privilege like the Parliament does. This just shows that the BJP is against democracy,” said SDMC Leader of Opposition Farhad Suri.
The BJP, for its part, put the ball in the court of its office-bearers in the corporations.
According to Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor, the Mayors of the three corporations had been asked to submit a report on the episode to the party next week.
“The party does not condone physical violence under any circumstances and we will certainly take disciplinary action against those involved,” Mr. Kapoor said.
He added that the law would take its own course, and that the party would undertake a thorough examination of the circumstances, especially what provoked the assault and who was responsible.
