Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia’s House Attacked; AAP Blames BJP Workers

AAP leaders including CM Arvind Kejriwal blamed “BJP goons” for the attack, and alleged Delhi Police – which reports to the Union home ministry – of being mute spectators when the incident took place.

Manish Sisodia

New Delhi: Reflecting growing animosity among political parties in Delhi against the backdrop of farmers’ protest, a large number of people forcibly entered the residence of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Thursday afternoon.

AAP leaders blamed “BJP goons” for the attack, and alleged Delhi Police – which reports to the Union home ministry – of being mute spectators when the incident took place.

Incidentally, just two days ago, when a ‘Bharat Bandh’ had been called in support of the farmers’ agitation in Delhi, AAP leaders had accused the Delhi Police of blocking chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence and preventing him from going out in support of the farmers.

Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia. Photo: PTI

According to the footage recorded on CCTV cameras installed near the gates of Sisodia’s residence, around 12:08 pm on Thursday, a large number of people entered his residence as the police deployed there in equally large numbers simply watched them run past.

It is alleged that the men who entered Sisodia’s residence are BJP workers who have been protesting outside Kejriwal’s house as part of an agitation launched by the three mayors of Delhi Municipal Corporation, seeking release of arrears by the state government to civic bodies. However, it is not yet clear why they entered Sisodia’s residence in hordes.

Sisodia in a tweet said that he was not present in the house when the attack took place. “Today, in my absence, BJP goons broke into my house and tried to attack my wife and children.”

Tagging Union home minister Amit Shah on Twitter, to whom Delhi Police reports, Sisodia also wrote “you may have lost the political battle but this is how you will respond?”

Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal also hit out at the BJP. Taking to Twitter, he said:

Referring to the attack on Sisodia and also on BJP national president J.P. Nadda in Kolkata on Thursday, he said that in a democracy, it is wrong to target political leaders using violent means.

“In view of the seriousness of the attack on the convoy of the BJP national president, it should be thoroughly investigated and the responsibility of this incident should be fixed,” he added.

AAP leader and party spokesperson Atishi Marlena, while addressing a press conference, termed it as a “black day in Delhi’s political history”. She accused Union home minister Amit Shah of using his “party goons” to attack the family of Sisodia when he was not present at his residence.

Meanwhile, Delhi BJP vice-president, Satish Upadhyay, was quoted by news agency PTI as saying: “We protested outside Sisodia’s residence to make it clear that BJP workers are capable of answering any challenge”.

The party also claimed that the protest by its activists was peaceful and a “conspiracy” is being hatched to discredit it.

The Delhi Police followed up the incident and detained around half a dozen people. However, their identities have not been disclosed yet.