AAP dubs BJP ‘anti-Bania’ over ruckus at NDMC

New Delhi: A day after ruckus in a North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) meeting, the AAP on Tuesday accused the BJP of being "anti-Bania" (anti-traders) and demanded action against a councillor who allegedly "attacked" its member in the civic body.

A section of the AAP and BJP councillors "exchanged blows", following heated arguments during the session of the saffron party-led NDMC House on Monday. A probe has been ordered into the incident by mayor of the corporation. 

AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sushil Gupta demanded that the BJP should expel its councillor who allegedly attacked AAP councillor Vikas Goyal in the NDMC meeting. "The incident exposes BJP's anti-Bania face before the country," Gupta said at a press conference. 

The "anti-Bania" stand of the BJP is already "exposed" by deletion of over four lakh trader community votes in Delhi, he charged. The trading community is said to be traditional supporters of the BJP. 

"Some of the members, from both the BJP and the AAP, after speaking on certain issues, had heated exchange of words. And, this led to chaos in which, some of the members exchanged blows," Adesh Gupta, mayor of the BJP-ruled corporation, had said after the incident. 

Sushil Gupta said AAP councillors will 'gherao' the mayor demanding action against BJP councillors who allegedly attacked Goyal. He charged that Goyal was "attacked" for raising the sealing issue in the House meeting. 
"BJP does not want anyone to raise voice against sealing. 

Those doing so are treated like Goyal," he alleged. The AAP councillor and Leader of Opposition in NDMC Anil Lakra alleged that it was a "pre-planned conspiracy" by BJP councillors to attack AAP councillors.