[caption id="attachment_216392" align="alignnone" width="550"]
A view from the newly inaugurated Signature Bridge, at Wazirabad in New Delhi, Monday, Nov 5, 2018. The Signature Bridge, India’s first asymmetrical cable-stayed bridge opened for public today.[/caption]
New Delhi, Nov. 5 (PTI): The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday demanded the arrest of Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari for “rioting” and “posing a threat” to the security of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Tiwari and his supporters allegedly got into a scuffle with AAP members and police at the inaugural event of the newly-built Signature Bridge here on Sunday.
The BJP leader had gone to the event to stage a protest for allegedly not being invited to the inauguration despite being Member of Parliament from the area.
AAP’s East Delhi Lok Sabha seat in-charge Atishi Marlena alleged Tiwari had gone to the venue for “rioting”.
“Police was directly or indirectly involved in it and allowed Tiwari and his supporters to reach the stage where the chief minister and other ministers were present, thus posing a threat to their security,” she said.
Senior AAP leader Dilip Pandey said a party worker, who was injured in Sunday’s incident, has filed a police complaint.
The Delhi government is also exploring legal options in view of the Delhi police’s “failure” to keep “BJP’s hooligans” away from the venue, he added.
Pandey said Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh should salvage the image of the BJP and the Delhi Police by ordering Tiwari’s arrest.
The BJP had on Sunday said that AAP MLA Amantullah Khan used abusive language and pushed Tiwari.
Panday said Khan did it to prevent Tiwari from getting onto the stage.
“Khan should not have pushed him. He was only trying to stop him from coming onto the stage, where Kejriwal and other leaders were present,” he said.
AAP MLA threatened to shoot me, says Delhi BJP chief
Delhi BJP unit chief Manoj Tiwari, who entered into a scuffle with AAP members during the inauguration of ‘Signature Bridge’ here, Sunday alleged that an AAP MLA threatened to shoot him.
He alleged that a few policemen also misbehaved with him.
“The policemen who entered into a scuffle with me have been identified. The additional DCP-I of this area is saying that some AAP volunteers were injured. I will show them what police is in just four days,” an agitated Tiwari said.
The BJP leader and his supporters had reached the venue of the inaugural function. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy were not present when the protest took place.
Tiwari had expressed displeasure over not being invited to the function and took a dig at the Kejriwal government, saying he would be present at the bridge to welcome the chief minister.
In a party statement, the BJP said, “AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan attacked the Delhi BJP president at the instance of Kejriwal”.
Khan, however, denied the charges.
“Why was he (Tiwari) there and trying to come on the stage? What was his intention? Why didn’t police stop him? I was just trying to stop Tiwari from coming on the stage. His allegation that I threatened to shoot him is laughable,” the AAP leader said.
A video of the alleged incident emerged in which Khan could be seen shoving Tiwari and scuffling with him close to the stage where the chief minister and his cabinet colleague were attending the inaugural function.
“A police call was made from the spot and now we are going to lodge a complaint at Usmanpur police station,” said Neelkant Bakshi, co-convener of Delhi BJP’s social media cell.
Tiwari said he had gone to the venue to share the moment of joy with people, but he was threatened.
“See the politics of Arvind Kejriwal. In the night Manish Sisodia tweeted that you are welcome, but why did Delhi Police raise barricade there when I reached there along with 1,200 people? The agitated AAP volunteers created ruckus and an MLA who is on bail threatened to shoot me and pushed me,” the BJP leader said in a tweet.
Tiwari had earlier expressed his displeasure over not being invited to the event despite being the MP of the area.
“The construction work of the bridge was in limbo when I met the Lt Governor and made available fund for it during the President’s rule in 2014. Kejriwal and his government that are indulging in low-grade politics are unaware of this,” he said.
