Under attack for his role in allegedly leading a midnight raid against some African women here, Law Minister Somnath Bharti today evaded the media while stating that he was yet to receive any notice from the Delhi Commission for Women asking him to depose before it in connection with the case.
"I am yet to receive any notice from the (Delhi) Women's Commission," was all Bharti had to say to reporters. The Law Minister, with a smiling face, kept avoiding reporters for the rest of the day.
The commission has summoned Bharti in connection with the case with its Chairperson, Barkha Singh, saying that, "We had asked him (Bharti) to appear before us yesterday, but he did not show up. We will be sending another summon through the concerned SHO to him tomorrow. If he still does not appear, we shall write to the Lt Governor and to the Delhi Police Commissioner to register an FIR."
Bharti's Cabinet colleague, Manish Sisodia, also stated that, "No notice has been received so far. He (Bharti) will appear before the commission whenever he receives the notice."
The row also involves the police, who allegedly refused to carry out a raid against the African women upon Bharti's allegations that they were part of a drug and prostitution racket.
Following police's refusal to be part of the raid, Bharti and his supporters allegedly acted on their own to corner the African women over the allegations.
With Bharti having become a source of a major embarrassment for the party, AAP has advised him to be "careful and humble" while making public statements.
A number of party leaders are said to be upset with Bharti, who has earlier as well stoked controversies by seeking a meeting of Delhi judges and by allegedly talking to a witness he was cross-examining as a lawyer.
One of the African women, who has recorded her statement before a magistrate, said she recognises Bharti as having been the leader of the group that had barged into her house and attacked them.
Meanwhile, even as Bharti refused to comment on the demands for his removal from the post of law minister, his party colleagues came to his defence, saying that every citizen, more so a minister, had the right to ask police to act against illegal activities.
