UP: AAP leader Somnath Bharti arrested, ink thrown at him
What's the story
Somnath Bharti, the Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Malviya Nagar, Delhi, was arrested in Uttar Pradesh on Monday for allegedly making defamatory remarks on the condition of state's hospitals and against Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Ink was also thrown at him in Raebareli.
A court sent him to judicial custody for 14 days, triggering a disappointing reaction from the politician.
Here's what happened.
Campaign
AAP leaders rushing to UP to highlight government's flaws
With AAP announcing that it will be contesting the upcoming UP Assembly elections, several of its leaders have started visiting the state often, to highlight the "flaws" of Adityanath's governance.
Bharti also visited UP with the same intention.
Yesterday, just as he was leaving a Raebareli guest house to visit a local school, police stopped him and a full-blown argument followed.
What happened
Youth threw ink at Bharti, he fumed
Police stopped Bharti from leaving the guest house, saying cops from neighboring Amethi wanted to speak to him in connection to alleged derogatory remarks he made on Sunday.
Just then, a youth threw ink at the AAP MLA.
He fumed at police, going as far as saying that these tactics won't work and that "Adityanath's death is imminent."
Reportedly, the youth was nabbed.
Twitter Post
Here is a video of the incident
राजनीतिक विरोध पर बौखलाये Kejriwal के MLA @attorneybharti ने कहा Yogi Adityanath की मौत निशचित@ArvindKejriwal जवाब दें : क्या यही होगा अब राजनीतिक व्यावहार ???@TajinderBagga @KapilMishra_IND @Punitspeaks @adeshguptabjp @hdmalhotra @HarishKhuranna @chitraaum @RubikaLiyaquat pic.twitter.com/ACSVL9YzMe
— Praveen Shankar Kapoor (@praveenskapoor) January 11, 2021
Arrest
We will fight: Bharti told Adityanath
Later, he was arrested for the alleged defamatory remarks he made. Another case was also filed against him in Raebareli for obstructing public servants from doing their job.
A miffed Bharti told Adityanath, "You get ink thrown, you get goons to attack me, you get false cases filed, you get pressure put on courts and get me sent to jail."
Bail
His bail plea will be heard tomorrow
Notably, IPC Sections 147, 332, 353, 505 (2), 153 A, 504, and 506 have been invoked against Bharti.
His bail application has been listed for hearing on Wednesday, January 13.
"Shocked to learn that my bail application has been kept pending till 13th January n I am sent to judicial custody of 14 days, (sic)" he tweeted last evening.
Reaction
First, fix your schools: Kejriwal had a suggestion for Adityanath
Meanwhile, taking potshots at Adityanath, his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal asked if schools in UP were in such a pathetic condition that the CM didn't want Bharti to see, hence, got him arrested.
"If someone goes to see your school then why do you get so scared? Fix the school. If you don't know how to, then ask Manish Sisodia," the AAP leader tweeted.
Twitter Post
'You are ruining the future of crores of UP's kids'
.@myogiadityanath जिन स्कूलों को आपको दिखाने में इतनी शर्म आ रही है, उन स्कूलों में UP के हमारे बच्चे पढ़ते हैं योगी जी। आप UP के करोड़ों बच्चों का भविष्य बर्बाद कर रहे हैं। https://t.co/7tXB3zpEzb
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) January 11, 2021