Did BJP MLA OP Sharma attack CPI activist in 2016? Delhi court to examine charges

NEW DELHI: A Delhi Court has taken cognizance of charge sheet against Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA OP Sharma for allegedly beating Communist Party of India (CPI) activist outside Patiala High Court in February 2016.

The court will hear the scrutiny of documents on September 26. 

The BJP MLA was alleged to have thrashed a CPI activist who was accused by Sharma of shouting 'Pakistan Zindabad'. The incident took place after the arrest of Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union leader Kanhaiya Kumar. 

Sharma had defended himself by saying he was attacked first. 

Sharma was later arrested by the police and granted bail at the Tilak Marg police station. He defended himself by saying that he was a "victim of media trial".

"It is shameful if people who stop others from screaming `Pakistan zindabad` have to go through all this. I am being tried by the media. Judgements were passed while they (media) sat in studios," Sharma had told reporters after the grant of bail.

"I was questioned for eight hours by the Delhi Police regarding the case," the BJP leader added.

This is not the first time that Sharma has been in news for his unruly behaviour. Apart from the JNU incident, Sharma had time and again taken a jibe at Aam Admi Party MLAs and used derogatory remarks to address them. 

Sharma had used objectionable language against AAP MLA Alka Lamba in December 2015. 

Sharma has accused Lamba of being a drug addict. Sharma had also said that AAP was a party of lumpen elements and questioned as to who had given Lamba the right to go on an anti-narcotics drive.

More recently in August 2018, Sharma had a verbal spat with AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan where he accused the latter of speaking like a terrorist. Sharma referred the AAP member as “terrorist” and “Fanney Khan". 

In the middle of his address to the Assembly, the BJP MLA lost his cool due to disruption by AAP members, and told Khan, “Kyun aatankwadiyon ki tarah baat kar raha hai, aadmiyon ki tarah baat kar (why are you talking like a terrorist? Talk like a human being).”

He further dared the AAP MLA to get into a confrontation with him saying, “Zada Lakdi mat le faltu, zada Fanney Khan mat ban (don’t mess with me, don’t try to be a ‘Fanney Khan’).”

(With Agency Inputs)