Facing contempt of court charges, BJP MP Manoj Tiwari offers to become 'sealing officer'

NEW DELHI: Facing contempt of court allegations over the sealing drive in Delhi, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Manoj Tiwari has offered to become a 'sealing officer. In an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court in connection with a contempt plea filed against breaking the lock of a sealed premises in Delhi, Tiwari said that he has "not disobeyed" orders.

He urged the SC to abandon the Monitoring Committee and allow him to assist the court in the sealing actions being done across the city. He told the court that as a sealing officer, he will take action against all unauthorised constructions in Delhi. 

"The deponent (Tiwari) most respectfully submits that he is ready and willing to accept the role of Sealing Officer to assist this court in executing its directions with regard to the sealing actions to clean the city and to make it a better place to live," Tiwari said.

In the affidavit submitted to the top court, Tiwari said that he will act in the most judicious and legal manner to bring out the most effective implementation of the sealing action and shall in no manner adopt a "pick and choose" method in carrying out duties as a responsible officer.

"The deponent as a Sealing Officer shall uphold the rule of law as an elected representative of the people and as a member of the Parliament and shall assist this court as its Sealing officer in carrying out the rule of law in the most opaque and transparent way," he said.

Tiwari had been asked to file an affidavit on the contempt plea filed against him for breaking the sealing of premises in Delhi's Gokalpur village. SC had taken a strong exception to the BJP MP's remark that the apex court-appointed Monitoring Committee was not sealing thousands of unauthorised buildings.

The court had then told Tiwari to give them a list of the unauthorised places. "You (Tiwari) give us a list of those places, we'll make you the sealing officer," the SC said.