Amethi/Rae Bareli, Jan 11: Aam Aadmi Party MLA Somnath Bharti on Monday had ink hurled at him in Rae Bareli and was arrested later for allegedly making objectionable remarks last week.
He was arrested for criminal intimidation and promoting enmity between groups, police said, following remarks two days ago allegedly referring to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the state’s hospitals. He was remanded to 14 days in judicial custody at Amhat jail in Sultanpur district. His bail plea will be heard Wednesday, a government counsel said.
Minutes before his arrest, a youth hurled ink at the Delhi MLA when he was emerging from a guest house.
According to a purported video clip of his remarks on Saturday on the state’s medical facilities, the AAP MLA had said in Hindi, “Children are being born in hospitals, but they are of dogs.”
Shortly after ink was flung at him, Bharti is heard arguing with the policemen around him, telling them that he will strip them of their uniforms.
He also tells the policemen to let Yogi Adityanath know that “all this” will not make a difference. “Yogi’s death is imminent,” he said.
People around him are also heard asking police to ensure the arrest of the man who hurled ink at him. Police said the man involved in the incident is absconding.
Amethi police had come to arrest the MLA, a former Delhi minister, in neighbouring Rae Bareli after BJP worker Somnath Sahu registered a complaint with them on Sunday over his alleged remarks a day earlier.
After the ink-throwing incident, Bharti also retweeted a video clip in which he is heard using a derogatory term for Adityanath, while talking about “atrocities on women” in the state.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal issued a strong reaction, targeting the UP chief minister. “Yogiji, our MLA Somnath Bharti ji was going to see your government school. Ink was thrown at him? Are your schools so bad? If someone goes to see your school then why do you get so scared? Fix the school,” he tweeted, asking him to consult Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on how to go about it. “Yogi ji, you are ruining the future of crores of children of Uttar Pradesh,” Kejriwal said in another tweet. (PTI)
