Violence outside Kejriwal’s residence exposes BJP

Bharatiya Janata Party activists’ protest early this week, which allegedly became violent, outside Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence does no little good to either the saffron party or the nation. The Delhi High Court Friday, while asking the police to file a status report on the incident, also said that the “unruly crowd” sought to create an “element of fear.”

BJP Yuva Morcha’s national president and MP Tejasvi Surya led the protesters against Kejriwal’s remarks on The Kashmir Files, which depicts the violence against and exodus of Kashmiri Pandits three decades ago.

The Delhi HC heard a petition by AAP MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj. “Some took law into their hands. There is element of fear sought to be created. That is evident. The police force was inadequate… they did try to stop them but they were outnumbered,” a Bench of Acting Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Navin Chawla observed.

This should be seen as a criticism of the saffron dispensation, as its activists “took law into their hands” at the residence of an elected representative.

“On March 30, 2022, several BJP goons, in the garb of a protest, launched an attack on the official residence of the Delhi CM. Videos and photographs show that these goons casually walked through the security cordon [maintained by Delhi Police], kicked and broke the boom barrier, broke the CCTVs cameras with lathis, threw paint on the gate of the residence and almost climbed over the gate, while Delhi Police personnel simply looked on, doing little to stop the protestors,” the petition alleged.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia slammed the BJP. He went on to allege that it was a “conspiracy to kill” Kejriwal. On its part, the BJP accused the Aam Aadmi Party of theatrics and playing the “victim card.”

Such statements are the staple of politicking these days, but physical assault on a Chief Minister—or, for that matter, anyone else—cannot be either condoned or tolerated. Those who feel that they are powerful enough to escape the consequences of their actions should realize that the law of karma catches up—sooner or later, in one form or the other.

The BJP is very powerful to; it may not be so tomorrow. When that happens, the boot will be on the other foot. That won’t be nice.