BJP MLA OP Sharma joins police probe in Patiala House attack case

Bharatiya Janata Party legislator OP Sharma, who was caught on camera thrashing a CPI activist at Delhi’s Patiala House court on Monday, joined the probe into the assault case on Thursday, a day after he was served summons by Delhi Police.

Sharma, a first-time MLA, presented himself before the Tilak Marg police station.

The police had on Wednesday issued summons to him as well as three lawyers in connection with the assault on journalists and students and teachers of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) at the court complex .

Delhi Police has been under attack for not taking action against those involved in the assault at the court complex on Monday and Wednesday.

Sharma was not named in the two FIRs registered by Delhi Police in connection with the attack on JNU students and journalists outside the courts complex.

Police on Tuesday had registered two FIRs against unknown persons even though cameras clearly showed Sharma and his supporters thrashing CPI activist Ameeque Jamai outside the court premises.

The BJP MLA claimed to be a victim alleging he suffered a head injury in the attack and hit out in self-defence.

“Main bachpan se yahi karta aa raha hoon, mujhe mara gaya toh khali nahi baitha gaya, teen char hath maine bhi maar diye (I have been doing this since I was a child, when I was hit, I hit back in self-defence),” Sharma responded after TV channels showed him assaulting Jamai and others.

Sharma, an MLA from east Delhi’s Vishwas Nagar, is one of the three BJP legislators in the Delhi Assembly. He is under suspension and barred from attending assembly proceedings after he called AAP legislator Alka Lamba a “bazaaru aurat” (immoral woman).

Sharma is not apologetic for Monday’s incident.

“When I came out (of the court) some people were shouting anti-India slogans. I tried to stop them and they attacked me. In defence, I also hit them,” Sharma said.

(With PTI inputs)

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