BJP workers broke into Dy CM's home, threatened family, staff, claims AAP

New Delhi: After around 150 Bharatiya Janata Party workers waltzed into Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia's home on Thursday to harass, shout at and threaten his family and staff as the police and paramilitary personnel looked on, the Delhi Police nabbed six of these workers and said a protest planned by the Delhi BJP, permission for which was denied, had got out of control.

Since the mayors of Delhi have been protesting outside Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's home, both the AAP and the BJP have been at loggerheads over funds purportedly owed to the civic bodies by the Delhi government. The MCDs claim they are owed over Rs 13,000 crore in dues and the Delhi government has denied these claims.

And amid the farmer's protests, the AAP claimed on December 8 that the CM was being illegally detained at his own home by the police. During this standoff, Deputy CM Sisodia and AAP leader Durgesh Pathak were seen together with BJP leaders claiming the AAP was "plotting to kill the mayors".

To protest this and the issue of the purported funds owed to the MCDs, the Delhi BJP had sought permission to demonstrate outside Sisodia's home on Thursday, which was denied, despite which the party workers gathered and entered the Dy CM's home.

Sisodia was laying the foundation stone of a cultural centre at the time and his family, including minor children and elders, were present in the house along with his staff.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Eish Singhal said that despite rejection, "150 people from BJP party office came there and some of them jumped the barricades. Six people were detained and taken to Parliament Street police station and others were dispersed," he said. The city police said that no vandalisation took place.

Significantly, the CCTV footage released by the Aam Aadmi Party and Sisodia himself on Twitter shows Delhi Police personnel stand by as the BJP workers opened the gates and walked in, before being dragged out by the authorities. Deputy CM's office staff confirmed that several men barged into the residence in his absence with the Delhi Police standing by and observing the entire scene.

"Around noon, several men broke through the door. One of them had a rifle and harassed the office staff verbally, and scared the children present in the house. Thankfully, nobody was hurt," the official told Millennium Post.

After news broke of the attacks, the Deputy CM said, "Today, in my absence, BJP goons broke the doors of my house and entered inside and tried to attack my wife and children. @AmitShah if you lose in Delhi politics today, will you tackle your defeat this way?" The Delhi Police said, "Based on a complaint by C. Arvind, Secretary to Dy. CM Delhi, a proper offence has been registered by Delhi Police under appropriate sections of law and investigation is going on. Allegations of gate damaged/broken are incorrect." Police added that further probe is going on to identify more people who were involved in the act.

After the incident, CM Kejriwal called the attack organised and condemned it on Twitter before engaging in a short spat with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The CM said, "I strongly condemn the systematic, organised and violent attack on Dy CM Sh Manish Sisodia's home. The goons entered his house in police presence when he was away. Why is BJP getting so desperate by the day in Delhi?"

To Singh, the CM said, "Rajnath ji, don't you think that a violent attack on Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister's residence in the presence of police is wrong? Why is there so much anger in the BJP if the Delhi Government and the Aam Aadmi Party are supporting the farmers' movement?"