Salman Khurshid criticises AAP for playing with India's relations with friendly nations

Reacting to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s claims citing a Ugandan letter alleging sex and drug trafficking of African women, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid on Monday said it is sad that some people are playing with India’s relationship with friendly countries.

Earlier in the day, Kejriwal defended Delhi Law Minister Somnath Bharti following his controversial midnight raid, stating that a woman from Uganda High Commission handed Bharti a letter alleging women trafficking from Uganda to India.

“It is completely wrong. I don’t know who visited them (AAP). The Uganda’s High Commissioner is not here,” Khurshid said.

“I think it is sad that you are playing with country’s reputation and relationship with friendly countries. I cannot think of something greater in terms of betrayal of this country than what is being done,” he added.

Khurshid further claimed that the letter relates to some other issue that happened in June 2013, while asserting that there was no connection with the present case.

“I am accustomed to seeing this kind of letters that they transpose and play around with. This is a letter that relates to something that happened in June 2013, and it is something to do with some internal issues which they had. This has nothing to do with what they are saying," he added.

Earlier today, Kejriwal presented the same letter to his supporters and said “A woman from the Ugandan mission came to meet Somnath Bharti last evening and told him 'you did very well, many women from our country are being trafficked'.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is sitting on a dharna outside Rail Bhavan demanding the suspension of Police officers, who defied the orders of the Delhi Cabinet Ministers Somnath Bharti and Rakhi Birla.

AAP leader and Delhi Transport Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj was taken into preventive custody by the Delhi Police. Bhardwaj was released by the police after a while.

Another AAP leader and MLA Akhilesh Tripathi was allegedly beaten by the Delhi Police and has been admitted to the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital.

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde reassured that a free and fair probe is being conducted against the three cops, who allegedly defied the orders of Somnath Bharti and Rakhi Birla.

He said that Kejriwal should wait for the report of the probe before staging a protest.

“He must patient and should wait for the report. He (Kejriwal) is the chief minister of Delhi and he should maintain the dignity of the chair. He should cooperate in the inquiry,” Shinde had said.

Earlier in the day, Kejriwal and other AAP leaders were stopped at Rail Bhavan by the Delhi Police while heading for a protest outside Shinde's office demanding action against Delhi Police today.

Party leader Sanjay Singh made it clear yesterday that AAP will stage the protest if no action is taken against the police officers.

AAP is demanding the suspension of the station house officers (SHO) of Sagarpur and Malviya Nagar police stations and two assistant commissioners of police.