AAP's Somnath Bharti has alleged that land meant for a school was allotted to Delhi BJP and L-G Najeeb Jung threatened him with an FIR.

New Delhi: Every time Aam Aadmi Party legislator Somnath Bharti expresses his anger in public, it creates a controversy and invariably shows him in a bad light. But this time, many in the national capital feel that Bharti has spoken for the right cause - land meant for a school being allotted to Delhi BJP.

On Friday, he wrote to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, asking him to take up the issue with President Pranab Mukherjee. He has also alleged that L-G Najeeb Jung threatened him with an FIR to silence him. “The act of Hon’ble L-G and the three members of BJP have not only insulted the house of Delhi Legislative Assembly, but the Constitution of India and people of Delhi at large,” Bharti said in his letter.

“It all happened on 5 November during a meeting of the Delhi Development Authority. Jung openly threatened to file an FIR against me. During the confirmation of the minutes of the meeting, I raised the issue of change of land use, originally meant for a primary school but later allotted to the Delhi BJP for its office. Other members, including three from the BJP, didn’t allow me to speak and have a discussion on the topic. When I went on insisting on it, the L-G threatened me by saying Agar tum bolna bandh nahi karoge, to FIR karke jail bhej diye jaoge (If you don’t stop speaking, you’ll be sent to jail by filing an FIR against you),” Bharti told Firstpost.

Bharti added that the people of Delhi who voted the AAP to form the government obviously won’t want land allotted for a school being given to the BJP for its office. The priority of the people in Delhi is a school and not a party office. Moreover, the Delhi BJP already has its office at Pt Pant Marg and inside the assembly. Why do they need another office that too by usurping the land meant for a school?”

His position is backed by Anup Tagore, AAP’s senior volunteer and committee member of Chittaranjan Park. “The issue raised by Somnath Bharti is genuine. The central government should explain why it wants to give the plot earmarked for a school to a political party for its office building? It’s ridiculous and citizens must oppose such kind of decisions of the government.”

However, the Delhi BJP has refuted AAP’s allegation and said that the AAP government has been politicising the issue to cover up its own failure.

“Kejriwal government has failed to start construction of even a single school building on any of the 40 plots allotted by DDA to it for the education purpose. The matter has not even reached the drawing board stage. It has not added even a single school in rural areas, unauthorized colonies, slums, and outer Delhi. It is needlessly raising the issue of the plot at Rose Avenue given to BJP by following the procedure laid down by the earlier government. The DDA has made allocation of 195 acres to the Delhi government by changing land use for construction of schools, hospitals, dispensaries, senior citizens’ home, night shelters, community centres, playgrounds etc, but it’s sleeping over the vacant land,” said Vijender Gupta, Leader of Opposition in the Delhi assembly.