A heated argument ensued between AAP and BJP leaders, as over 2,000 AAP supporters waited outside.

The first meeting between teams led by Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and city BJP president Manoj Tiwari started with an exchange of bouquets but allegedly ended with blows.

The BJP delegation comprising six MPs and two mayors claims it was manhandled at the CM’s residence in the presence of Kejriwal and all his party MLAs. The opposition party leaders including five MPs, its four MLAs and two female mayors had to flee after purportedly being roughed up by a large number of AAP workers and “bouncers”.

Kejriwal termed the charges “baseless”.

The BJP alleged that its leaders were attacked by AAP members who were instigated by the CM. The party showed a video claiming Kejriwal provoked his men to “catch” the BJP leaders who were walking out of the meeting. The drama unfolded after Tiwari led the delegation to the CM’s residence on Tuesday morning to discuss the issue of municipal sealing at markets.

However, the plot was allegedly orchestrated the previous night. After BJP leaders sought an appointment with Kejriwal to discuss the sealing issue, the CM purportedly sought another meeting with lieutenant governor Anil Baijal saying he would come over with BJP leaders to thrash out the matter.

Sources said the L-G office tried to verify this from the BJP to which Tiwari informed that no such joint meeting was on his party’s agenda. Late night parleys took place in BJP to decide whether to meet Kejriwal or not.

According to sources, BJP vice-president and its Delhi in-charge Shyam Jaju told the state unit to go ahead with the meeting as it was regarding the critical issue of sealing.

Around 9am, BJP leaders reached the CM House but were astonished to see over a hundred AAP supporters along with party MLAs and the media already present in the hall where Kejriwal was supposed to meet the delegation. As soon as the CM entered, he asked the BJP leaders to sit, but they refused.

The BJP members objected to the crowd present in the room. Tiwari told the CM that it was not “a Delhi assembly session” where he had called all his MLAs.

Vijender Gupta and South Delhi MP Ramesh Bidhuri too argued with Kejriwal but in vain. All this while, Kejriwal kept asking BJP leaders to sit and talk.

“…The matter concerns a large population of Delhi; there’s no harm in discussing it openly…We can discuss the issue over tea,” Kejriwal was heard telling BJP leaders.

But while Tiwari was raising his concerns with the CM, AAP MLA Jitendra Singh Tomar allegedly shouted him down, saying, “We are not here to listen to your lectures.”

This created a ruckus with BJP leaders vehemently protesting against such behaviour. With the situation refusing to quiet down, Tiwari walked out of the room but this was when he and his team were purportedly heckled by AAP supporters. MLA Jarnail Singh allegedly came in the way of Tiwari and shouted slogans against him.

If the BJP leaders were surprised by the crowd inside the room, a bigger shock awaited outside. More than 2,000 AAP supporters allegedly blocked the BJP delegation and manhandled them. While Tiwari and Gupta claimed that they were roughed up by the AAP MLAs, a personal assistant to Gupta sustained injuries and subsequently, a complaint was filed with Civil Lines police station against four AAP legislators.

“We were around 20 people while Kejriwal was sitting there with around 150 men including AAP MLAs. There were also anti-social elements and bouncers who attacked me and our women mayors,” Tiwari said.

“This incident makes it clear that this government is not serious over issues like sealing faced by the people of Delhi. They are in the role of urban Naxalites.” Tiwari further challenged Kejriwal to an open debate at the Ramlila Maidan over the issue of sealing.

“Today he insisted on debating the issue in a gathering of hundreds of people. I will write to him for a debate over the issue at Ramlila Ground with public in attendance,” he said.

PROPOSALS FROM MCDs

Increase floor area ratio (FAR) from existing 180 to 300 to benefit maximum properties facing threat of sealing.

Allow commercial activities in basements of selfowned properties.

Set up a nodal agency to re-inspect sealed properties and initiate process of desealing.

Exemption from 10 times penalty and 8 per cent interest on properties.

Watch video | AAP-BJP meet over sealing drive in Delhi ends in ruckus