Kejriwal defends Bharti in Khirki raid case

New Delhi, Dec 19: Defending former law minister Somnath Bharti for his midnight raid at Khirki extension, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal today said the Malviya Nagar MLA had put his life at risk for people.

"Isn't a drug, prostitution and sex racket active in Khirki extension?" Kejriwal said addressing a jansabha at Begumpur in Malviya Nagar constituency. Alleging that Bharti had faced a lot of "injustice" from the media, Kejriwal said, when people approached Bharti for help at midnight, he helped them, unlike ministers from other parties.

"He could have told people that he will come in the morning and slept off under a warm quilt like any other minister. But he did not. Anything could have happened to him? You won't find such a minister in India," Kejriwal said. Bharti had allegedly led a group of AAP supporters in a midnight raid in January against some African women accusing them of involvement in a prostitution racket.

Following the controversy, Kejriwal had strongly backed Bharti resisting pressure from other quarters to sack him. Trying to hard sell AAP government's achievement, the former Delhi chief minister also slammed the Centre over inflation and black money.

"We achieved so much in 49 days. We slashed electricity and water tariff, reduced the corruption and did work that no government has done is such a short span. What has the BJP government done in last six months. The rate of petrol in the international market has fallen sharply but the same has not reflected in prices here. Rates of sugar, train tariff, medicines have increased multifold," he said.

Kejriwal also attacked the Delhi administration for the recent demolitions of jhuggis in the national capital. "The government has razed slums in Rangpuri, Wazirpur, Maidan Gadi and several other places. Where will people stay in this cold weather," he said.

PTI