AAP MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj.
Credit: PTI File Photo
New Delhi: AAP leaders on Sunday lodged two police complaints against BJP MLA and Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta, accusing him of caste discrimination and physically assaulting a female bus marshal outside the Lieutenant Governor's house.
The assault alleged in a complaint by Delhi minster Saurabh Bharadwaj took place on Saturday while a group of marshals and MLAs of both AAP and BJP were at the LG's residence to seek his approval for reinstating the civil volunteers who were removed last year, a party statement said.
The development follows an FIR lodged by Gupta against Bharadwaj and three AAP MLAs for indulging in "indecent behaviour" that led to a scuffle at the Secretariat and outside the LG VK Saxena's house on Saturday.
According to a statement by AAP, a female bus marshal Pankaj told Bharadwaj that Vijender Gupta had allegedly kicked her.
Delhi Assembly Deputy Speaker Rakhi Birla also filed a separate complaint against Gupta, alleging caste-based harassment, the statement said.
"We haven't been able to get in touch with two female bus marshals since yesterday. One was kicked by Vijender Gupta, and another was hit by a police officer. We fear for their safety and have formally lodged a complaint," Bharadwaj said.
He accused Gupta of misusing police machinery to file false cases against AAP MLAs and the bus marshals.
"Vijender Gupta has been exposed. Out of frustration, he is now trying to implicate AAP leaders and innocent bus marshals in false cases. The LG's office and the BJP MLA are misusing the police to stop the volunteers from demanding their rights," Bharadwaj said.
As per the statement, the incident happened when Vijender Gupta came out of the LG house, and the bus marshals asked him about the cabinet note that was submitted to Saxena.
BJP MLAs had accompanied AAP legislators and Chief Minister Atishi to the LG house to submit a cabinet note on reinstating the bus marshals.