Somnath Bharti’s fate hangs in AAP’s balance

POLITICS// Barely a month into its rule, and Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP government is in the news for all the wrong reasons. The Chief Minister slept on the street in a dharna that ended in a ‘facesaver victory’ for him and his party and paid leave for two of the six policemen against whom he had sought action for dereliction of duty. Meanwhile, the chorus for Delhi Law Minister Somnath Bharti’s scalp mounts from all quarters for exceeding his brief and ‘constitutional’ authority in conducting the midnight raid in Khirki village (a residential area in NCR). Five Ugandan women residents of the area have lodged a complaint against him with the Delhi Commission of Women alleging grave infringement of human rights and a sixth has moved court for lodging an FIR. One of them has recorded her statement that she recognised Bharti from his muffler which he was still wearing on TV the next day of the raid. Bharti and party have also allegedly made racial remarks. Bharti is also under fire for his use of unparlimentary language. DCW has summoned Bharti and threatened to lodge an FIR against him over his failure to make an appearance. While the party asked Bharti to mind his language, for now, Kejiriwal continues his support of the beleaguered law minister. Sacking Bharti is not the ideal solution to this aam political problem, he knows.