NEW DELHI: BJP councillor from Janakpuri , Ashish Sood , was in the eye of a storm on Friday after an inspector with South Corporation’s West Zone remunerative projects cell (RP cell) circulated an audio clip in which Sood threatens to harm him for removing a unipole used for outdoor advertising.

Sood, who is also BJP’s Delhi unit general secretary, repeatedly threatens to beat up the inspector in his office and throw him off a roof if he even touches his unipole . He tells the inspector to either remove all the illegal unipoles in the area or leave his alone. The inspector had recorded the clip.

Sood apologized for the threatening language but did not deny the voice was his. “I’m sorry for abusing but the official is at fault.” In his defence, he said he wasn’t seeking a favour nor doing anything corrupt. “I said officials should take uniform action and not target just one. South Corporation has already charged Rs 1.5 lakh for this unipole and suddenly these officials have realized that its existence isn’t legal. Senior officials have told me that if the corporation has signed a contract and charged money for a unipole, it cannot be removed. In fact, the official was being corrupt.”

In the recording, the inspector tells Sood that he has to take action as a public notice has been issued against the site. But till Friday evening, no formal complaint had been made to police and South Corporation commissioner Manish Gupta. “I have heard about it but there is no formal complaint. I cannot comment on it,” Gupta said.

Subhash Arya, leader of the House, said BJP councillors support Sood and he hasn’t done anything to shame the civic body or the party.

But corporation officials said the recording proves they are not allowed to work.

“Councillors accuse us of not working but the truth is that when we go out to take action, they threaten us,” said a senior South Corpo ration official.

