Somnath Bharti fails to appear before Delhi Women's Commission

NEW DELHI: Controversial Law Minister Somnath Bharti today failed to appear before the Delhi Commission for Women and instead sent his lawyers who had a public spat with panel chief Barkha Singh after she refused to entertain them.

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.

The Law Minister was asked to depose before the commission this afternoon to explain the charges against him but he sent his lawyers, who said he was absent due to "some urgencies". DCW Chief Barkha Singh said the Commission had asked the minister to depose before it and would not accept explanation of his lawyers. One of Bharti's lawyers Rishikesh Kumar said Singh did not allow them to put across his point on the issue.

"I have been asked by Somnath Bharti to represent him in today's proceeding. I came here at 3 PM and as I entered inside I saw many camerapersons were already present there. So I said that it's already 3 o'clock and we have been sent by Bharti to represent him," he said

"We were told lawyers cannot represent. I said I have got the instructions. I have got the authorisation and can you please let me speak? Then she said no, you are a lawyer. But I kept saying that we have a humble submission. I told her that because of some urgencies Bharti might not be able to attend today's hearing," Kumar said. The AAP had yesterday decided to back Bharti and to await the findings of a judicial inquiry before any action can be taken against him.