'Crowd attacked AAP leaders at Delhi Secretariat'

New Delhi [India], Feb 20 (ANI): Adding a new angle to Monday night's incident at Delhi Secretariat where the Delhi Chief Secretary was allegedly assaulted by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs, the AAP has alleged that a huge mob had ambushed the venue and attacked its leaders.

"Delhi secretariat is a high-security zone so there is ample police deployment. There, a crowd gathered and even raised slogans. They attacked me and Imran Hussain (AAP MLA), but police that was present there stood as mute spectators. There were no attempts to disperse the mob or control the situation," AAP leader Ashish Khetan told press here.

Khetan also hinted at Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) involvement in the mob attack, "For a mob to gather there and make Delhi Secretariat a rioting place, so, on whose behest was it done? There were workers from outside; who instigated them and who encouraged them?"

Responding to Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash's allegation that he was manhandled by two AAP MLAs, Khetan said there are two versions of the night and everything is captured in the CCTV cameras, even as he added that the attack and the subsequent inaction of Delhi Police linked the incident to outside forces.

"Everything is on CCTV; the way ministers were attacked inside the Delhi Secretariat, anything could have happened, people could have been seriously injured. Can you imagine such an incident occurring in the secretariat of any other state? That the police remains quiet and does not take any action despite all the proof in CCTV footage?" he said.

The AAP leader also said that there are attempts being made to destabilize the whole government even before the allegations have been investigated.

"Let there be an independent and credible inquiry, but in the interim, the administration should not suffer," he added.

Khetan further counter-alleged that Prakash's allegation against AAP MLAs is an attempt to divert the issue of discrepancy in ration distribution for which the emergency meeting had been called in the first place.

"This is an attempt to divert the situation because we ensure accountability of officials that the previous governments did not. There are forces that do not want the officials to be held accountable, and are diverting the issue with such talks,"

This is an attempt to divert the situation because we ensure accountability of officials that the previous governments did not. There are forces that do not want the officials to be held accountable and are diverting the issue with such talks.

Delhi Chief Secretary Prakash has alleged that he was attacked in the presence of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal after being summoned for discussions on Aadhar-related problems on Monday night.

AAP has meanwhile termed it a "ludicrous allegation." (ANI)