Members from the BJP's women's wing in Delhi assaulted a woman police officer
A woman police officer was assaulted by BJP workers today as they protested on the streets of Delhi against a comment made against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mother by the chief of the Gujarat unit of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Gopal Italia. In a video that went viral on social media, BJP workers can be seen assaulting the woman police officer on duty and dragging her by her hair.
Police were in a face-off with members from the BJP's women's wing and some women could be seen physically assaulting the woman police officer as she was surrounded by the protesters. In the video, the police officer can be seen being pushed, dragged by her hair and at one point she even struggles to keep her beret in place.
The protests were being staged outside the AAP office in the city and several BJP leaders were present there, including Adesh Gupta, the chief of the party's Delhi unit.
BJP sharpened its attack on Mr Italia today, demanding that AAP should sack him from the party immediately, after he was heard purportedly mocking the Prime Minister's mother in a video. The BJP protesters said the people of Gujarat will make AAP pay for "abusing" Heeraben Modi, the Prime Minister's mother.
"If you think abusing the Prime Minister's mother will help you gain political popularity in Gujarat, you are mistaken. And for that mistake, Gujarat and Gujaratis will make you pay the political price in the forthcoming elections," Union minister Smriti Irani said today, attacking AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Mr Italia claimed that the BJP was targeting him as he was from the Patidar community.
Mr Italia was detained in New Delhi yesterday for more than two-and-a-half hours by Delhi Police after he appeared before the National Commission for Women (NCW) in connection with his alleged comments against PM Modi amid protests by AAP members outside the women panel's office.