Arvind Kejriwal, Somnath Bharti attack media; accuse it of 'biased' coverage

NEW DELHI: Accusing the media of targeting the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said that media is trying to portray a 'negative image' of the party.

"Some media houses have been asked to portray a negative image of the Aam Aadmi party", said Kejriwal. Kejriwal seems to have taken a cue from the Delhi Law Minister Somnath Bharti, who had earlier in the day made similar allegations.

Bharti had lashed out at media, asking "How much did Modi pay you?" "Everything is absolutely wrong. This is a conspiracy against me and I will take all involved to court," Bharti said.

Attacking DCW chief Barkha Singh, he said, "Barkha Singh is a Congress member...She should have resigned herself after her government's term ended".

Terming all the reports against him as false, the law minister threatened, "They are trying to defame me, I am going to take them to the court."

However, it was not clear who he was referring to. As reporters continued to question him over the controversy surrounding him, he accused them of taking money from the Gujarat Chief Minister.

Soon after his anti-media tirade stirred a controversy, Bharti withdrew his statement saying that he had been 'misinterpreted'. " I didn't mean it. If anyone is hurt by my statement then I apologize," he said.

Bharti's comments came under political ire, with BJP leader Dr Harsh Vardhan slamming the AAP. "It is time Somnath Bharti is sacked," he said. On Kejriwal's comments on media, Harsh Vardhan said, "Why is he (Kejriwal) now showing such narrow-mindedness when media is showing reality about his Minister?"

BJP's Prakash Javadekar also hit out at AAP. "Till media was giving good publicity, all was fine. Now if it is questioning you then it is being paid by someone!" he mocked.

NK Singh, General Secretary of BEA said, "This can be an individual's frustration, but such statements are unwanted. We condemn it."

AAP's statements were condemned by Congress as well, with Rita Bahuguna Joshi saying, "It is media's right to show both sides of coin, also present its opinion. This is an immature statement."

High drama was witnessed on Friday at the Delhi Commission of Women as controversial Somnath Bharti failed to appear before it in the case relating to the midnight raid against an alleged drug and prostitution ring and instead attended a kite flying festival.

Bharti's lawyers and the Commission Chief Barkha Singh, a former Congress MLA, had a public confrontation after she refused to allow them to present the minister's response.

In a statement, Aam Aadmi Party said it "strongly disapproved of the politicisation of the office of Delhi Commission for Women by its chairperson".

Claiming that a lawyer had misbehaved with her, Singh said she has written to the Lt Governor recommending filing of an FIR against Bharti for allegedly misbehaving with a number of African women.

DCW had summoned Bharti following allegations that the Delhi minister led a group of AAP workers who misbehaved with a number of African women on the pretext of a raid on an alleged drug and prostitution ring in South Delhi last week.