A young man threw ink at Somnath Bharti as he was leaving a boarding house (Archive)
Amethi / Rae Bareli:
Aam Aadmi MLA Party Somnath Bharti had ink thrown at him on Monday in Rae Bareli of Uttar Pradesh and he was later arrested for allegedly making objectionable comments.
He was arrested for criminal intimidation and for promoting enmity between groups, police said, following comments allegedly referring to Uttar Pradesh’s chief minister, Yogi Adityanath, and state hospitals.
Minutes earlier, a young man threw ink at the Delhi MLA as he was leaving a boarding house.
(Rae Bareli’s) Police Superintendent Shlok Kumar said: “Ink was spilled on the AAP MLA and the matter is being investigated.”
According to an alleged video clip, the AAP MLA said in Hindi: “Children are born in hospitals, but they are to dogs.”
Shortly after ink was thrown at him, Bharti also retweeted a video clip in which he is heard using a derogatory term for Yogi Adityanath, while speaking of “atrocities against women” in the state.
Amethi police arrested Bharti, a former Delhi minister, in Rae Bareli on Monday morning, based on a complaint made by BJP worker Somnath Sahu about alleged comments made last week.
The arrest took place less than an hour after the ink drop incident.
Bharti has been placed in judicial custody for 14 days, he wrote on Twitter.
I am surprised to learn that my application for bail has been pending until January 13 and I am being sent to judicial custody for 14 days.
– Adv. Somnath Bharti (@attorneybharti) January 11, 2021
In response to Bharti’s remarks, Shalabh Mani Tripathi, information adviser to the prime minister of Uttar Pradesh, said: “Everyone has the right to contest the ballot box and do politics in a democracy, and to make accusations among themselves is welcome.” .
“But by using indecent language for a prime minister, you are using abusive language, you are telling a policeman who is doing his duty that his uniform will be taken from him. This is bullies’ language.
“Arvind Kejriwal is himself a prime minister. If he has the slightest idea about the position of a prime minister, then he should offer an apology to the whole country for the statement made by Bharti to the popular UP prime minister,” Tripathi said .
A case was registered against Mr. Bharti under section 507 (criminal intimidation by anonymous communication) and section 153-A (promotion of enmity between different groups on the grounds of religion, race, etc., and conducting of acts injurious to the maintenance of harmony) of India. Penal Code, said Additional Superintendent of Police Daya Ram.
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