Post date: Jan 20, 2014 1:31:46 PM
India's ruling Congress stages a protest against Delhi Law Minister, Somnath Bharti and Delhi Chief, Arvind Kejriwal over the alleged molestation of African nationals by a group of supporters of the Minister during a midnight raid.
NEW DELHI, INDIA (JANUARY 20, 2014) (ANI) - India's ruling Congress on Monday (January 20), staged a protest against Delhi Law Minister, Somnath Bharti and Delhi Chief, Arvind Kejriwal over the alleged molestation of African nationals by a group of supporters of the minister during a midnight raid.
"Immediate action should be taken against the Delhi Law minister, Somnath Bharti, because he is the one who went there with a mob, and they confined these African nationals without any arrest warrant. Infact,I would say that they should take off the cap which they say is a symbol of Gandhism, because they are simply degrading it.Mahatma Gandhi had fought apartheid in Africa but these people, who claim to be wearing that Gandhi cap, have today themselves given proof of racism, which is a shame not only for Delhi but for the whole nation." said spokesperson of Congress party, Ragini Nayak.Four women from Uganda, in a complaint to Delhi Police, have alleged that they were molested by a group of supporters of Delhi Law Minister, Somnath Bharti.
Bharti had alleged that the Uganda nationals were part of a drug and prostitution racket and asked the police to raid the place and arrest them on January 16. However, police refused his orders.
While a Delhi based NGO, Sampurna, also staged a protest demanding the Delhi Chief, Arvind Kejriwal to take action against his own party member ,Rajesh Garg, who they allege had been harassing them over investigating their NGO.
Bharti, who belongs to Delhi-ruling Common Man party, has been involved in a controversy over a midnight raid led by him in which the four Ugandan women were allegedly mistreated.
"Now that his own minister (law minister, Somnath Bharti) is in trouble, he (Arvind Kejriwal) is demanding that the police officers should be suspended but he is not taking any action against his own people who are doing wrong,"said President of an NGO 'Sampurna', Taruna Kataria.
The Indian government has condemned the incident and promised an investigation after meeting African envoys in New Delhi on Saturday (January 18).
Kejriwal and other members of his Aam Aadmi party (AAP), or Common Man party, have urged India's Interior Minister, Sushil Kumar Shinde, to suspend the police officers for alleged dereliction of duty in the case involving Ugandan nationals.