BJP MLA OP Sharma thrashing one of the JNU students who were protesting against the arrest of JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar during a clash between the advocates and the students outside the Patiala House Courts in New Delhi on Monday. (Source: PTI) BJP MLA OP Sharma thrashing one of the JNU students who were protesting against the arrest of JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar during a clash between the advocates and the students outside the Patiala House Courts in New Delhi on Monday. (Source: PTI)

“Mein goli bhi maar deta agar bandook hoti. Koi hamari Ma ko gaali dega to kya usey maaroge nahin (I would have opened fire if I had a gun. If someone abuses our mother, won’t I beat him up).”

That was Om Prakash Sharma, BJP MLA from Vishwas Nagar in Delhi, when he was asked why he had assaulted a CPI leader at the Patiala House Courts complex Monday afternoon.

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Sharma, who flaunts his proximity to Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, made his debut in politics in 2008 when he unsuccessfully contested the assembly elections in Delhi.

Unwilling to move out of Vishwas Nagar, he contested again in 2013 and won. When elections were held again in 2015, he was the only BJP MLA to retain his seat.

BJP MLA O P Sharma’s defence after Patiala court assault: They were shouting pro-Pak slogans, I was hurt

Sharma’s father was a driver in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and he was born in the staff quarters of corporation employees at Kashmere Gate. The eldest of three sons, Sharma graduated from Satyawati College where he was college president. He also contested the Delhi University students’ union election and was an executive member of the team which Jaitley headed as president.

Watch: BJP leader O P Sharma assaults ‘CPI leader’ outside Patiala House court

He once worked as an employee of the municipal corporation. After his father died, he became an inspector in the house tax department. He quit the job within a year and started taking care of sweets shops his family owns. One of these shops was “raided” by AAP MLA Alka Lamba last year, leading to acrimonious scenes in the Delhi assembly and Sharma’s suspension after he made derogatory remarks about her.

His wife Geeta too tried to enter politics by contesting the municipal elections in 2002 but was defeated.

Sharma has two sons — the younger, Chetan, is a lawyer while the elder, Vikas, runs the sweets shop. He also owns showrooms of leading sports brands.

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