New Delhi, March 6
A delegation of BJP leaders today met the Chief Election Commissioner of India and submitted a memorandum complaining about violence by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers at BJP headquarters yesterday.

It demanded criminal cases be filed against AAP workers and the recognition of this party be cancelled.

"The Model Code of Conduct came into effect in entire country, but the AAP workers did not care about it and they targeted the BJP office," said Delhi BJP president Harsh Vardhan.

BJP leaders accused that AAP is deliberately creating an atmosphere of anarchy in the country so that the common man's attention may be diverted from the wave of Narendra Modi.

"AAP and its workers have indulged in violence and anarchy on the first day of the Model Code of Conduct that came into force yesterday. AAP has tried to spread anarchy and instability through its violence and wants to further vitiate the peaceful atmosphere ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

"We have asked the Election Commission to initiate steps against the new outfit and stop it from disturbing the peaceful atmosphere. We fear more such incidents in the coming days and have asked the EC to take steps so that such instability and anarchy is not spread by AAP. It seems some foreign forces are conspiring to create instability in the country," said senior party leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.

He said the EC assured the delegation that stern steps will be taken against such incidents and those involved in yesterday's violence and that no one will be permitted to vitiate and disturb the peaceful atmosphere during polls.

A delegation of BJP leaders, including Naqvi, Shyam Jaju and Delhi unit chief Harsh Vardhan met Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath and handed over a memorandum against the AAP.

New Delhi, March 6
Aam Aadmi Party leader Shazia Ilmi today "regretted" the clash between the AAP and the Bharatiya Janata Party that took place in Delhi yesterday and admitted that her party should not have retaliated, according to the Delhi Police.

Ilmi and another AAP leader, Ashutosh, were questioned by the police today. They have been named in an FIR that was registered by the police in regard to the clash that took place between the AAP and the BJP outside the latter's office in Delhi. The FIR has been registered under the Indian Penal Code sections of assaulting police personnel, "unlawful assembly", rioting and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984.

Fourteen people who have been named in the FIR were arrested yesterday and granted bail by the Patiala House Court today.

According to the FIR, AAP leaders, Shazia Ilmi, Ashutosh, Akhilesh Tripathi, Jarnail Singh, Anand Kumar, Jagdeep Singh and Surinder Singh were inciting people outside the BJP office.

At about 5.30 pm yesterday, AAP workers gathered outside the Delhi BJP office and started protesting against them, according to the police. The AAP workers allegedly tried climbing over the iron gate of the office. Police officers who were present at the site of the incident instructed the AAP workers to disperse, because they had started an "unlawful assembly". "We then used the water cannon against them. They climbed over it and damaged it. They also took away our staff who were handling the water cannon," explained the officer.

The AAP and BJP workers, numbering more than 100, indulged in stone pelting. "We observed that the AAP was more aggressive during the incident. And in regard to the BJP, if someone comes to your house to fight, you would retaliate," explained the officer.

During her questioning by the police, Ilmi said that when she was on her way to participate in a programme of a news channel, she saw her party workers assembling outside the BJP office at Ashoka Road. "She claimed that she didn't do anything unlawful and rather requested people to calm down. She also regretted the entire incident," said police investigators.

After the completion of her questioning, Ilmi told reporters that the AAP didn't start the violence. "Our supporters only retaliated. The BJP workers attacked the AAP supporters. I and Ashutosh didn't instigate our supporters for retaliation, instead we were pacifying them," she said, while conceding that "we should not have retaliated".

Ashutosh, similarly, has told the police that he was not involved in unlawful activities. While speaking to reporters, he asserted that the police investigation into the incident is one-sided.

The police are examining the video footage of the clash that was recorded by them. They will question BJP workers after viewing the video of the clash.

New Delhi, March 6
Six FIRs have been registered in past one month by the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) against seven Delhi government officials under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The officials were caught red-handed accepting bribes.

"On receipt of complaints on the anti-corruption helpline, the Anti-Corruption Branch followed up the matter with the complainants and with their co-operation traps were laid and seven government officials belonging to various departments were booked," said a senior Delhi government official.

ACB Additional Commissioner V. Renganathan while giving the details of various cases said that during the month of February, complaints received through the helpline No- 1031 relating to the demand of bribe by government servants of various departments were referred to the Anti Corruption Branch of GNCT of Delhi.

"The ACB followed up the matter with the complainants and with their co-operation, traps were laid and seven government officials belonging to various departments were caught and the accused arrested," he said.

He said the officials belong to different departments, including Trade and Taxes, Archaeological Survey of India, Public Works Department, Income Tax and Delhi University and one private person operating outside the premises of Sub-Registrar office Kapashera.

"The Anti-Corruption helpline started by the Delhi government has been functioning since January 2014. The general public lodge their complaints relating to demand of bribe by any government official in NCT of Delhi through this helpline which is toll free," said Renganathan.

"The ACB, Directorate of Vigilance, GNCT of Delhi is taking stringent legal action against the officials who are indulging in corrupt practices on receipt of the complaints through the helpline," he added.

New Delhi, March 6
The Delhi University's Executive Council today cleared the long-pending controversial proposals for amendments to Statute XI F (4) and Ordinances XI and XII pertaining to the reappointment of the vice-chancellor for a second term and UGC's code of professional ethics directly actionable under the VC with four and three dissents respectively.

With this, the opposing faculty is now contemplating newer ways of protest under the banner of Delhi University Teachers' Association (DUTA).

"This arbitrariness will only alienate teachers and shrink the democratic space for expression. But we are not going to give up and the fight will continue with new ways of protest. It has become a political war -between the central government and us," said EC member Abha Dev Habib who opposed both the moves in the meeting today.

According to DUTA executive member Vijaya Venkatraman, expanding the ambit of the definition of "misconduct" under teachers' service rules in the Ordinances XI and XII is another way to allegedly misuse power that would rest with the administration led by VC.

Calling it a black day in the history of DU, teachers condemned the development terming it a "sinister move to favour the current VC's personal ambitions and guard him from the criticism of students and teachers in academic and administrative matters, including the four-year undergraduate programme and norms for teachers' regular appointment".

DUTA president Nandita Narain said the body had earlier appealed to the Visitor of the University, President Pranab Mukherjee, requesting his urgent intervention.

"The EC has passed the draconian amendments nothing but to harass ad hoc teachers and crush dissent among the faculty against the DU's four-year undergraduate programme. The VC is acting in a feudal way and in the process has subverted the Act, statutes and ordinances," asserted Narain.

In the dissent, the DUTA was also joined by both the factions of Academics for Action and Development (AAD), one led by Aditya Narayan Misra and other by J Khuntia.

"We have always protested against the changes, but the DUTA leadership has never taken up the matter seriously," said an EC member Aditya Narayn Misra who too dissented on the two issues.

New Delhi, March 6
In memory of Baba Baghel Singh who conquered Delhi during the reign of Mughal King Shah Alam in 1783 and unfurled a Nishan Sahib at Red Fort, Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) announced that it would celebrate Fateh Diwas on March 8 and March 9.

Baba conquered Delhi on March 11, 1783-the day was known as Fateh Diwas in the history of Sikh community. However, the DSGMC is celebrating this Diwas on March 8 and 9, Saturday and Sunday as there will be no traffic problem on these two days. This function is being organised for the first time, DSGMC spokesman Parminder Singh said.

It will be held at Red Fort. There will be kirtan on the night of March 8 while on the second day, a march will be taken out from Tis Hazari to Red Fort via Fatehpuri and Gurdwara Sheeshganj Sahib.

The march will consist of Nihangs on horses and elephants. Sikh ex-servicemen, including Air Chief Marshal Arjun Singh, bands of Delhi Police, BSF and CRPF are likely to participate in the march, the spokesperson said.

The DSGMC spokesman said that the function is being organised to acknowledge the good work done by Baba Baghel Singh for the community and give information of Sikh history to the youth of the community besides reminding the country that a Sikh had unfurled the Nishan Sahib 231 years ago at the place where the Prime Minister of India unfurls the National Flag every year.

Baba left Delhi with a condition that the administration of the Mughal King would identify the historical importance of seven Gurdwaras -- Sheesh Ganj Sahib, Rakab Ganj Sahib, Bangla Sahib, Nanak Piao, Moti Bagh Sahib, Majnu Ka Tila and Gurdwara Mata Sundry, said the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee spokesman.

New Delhi, March 6
The Congress today said it will protest against power distribution companies (discoms) and gherao the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission's (DERC) office if the tariff was allowed to be hiked.

A delegation of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) leaders led by its president Arvinder Singh Lovely, today met DERC chairman P. Sudhakar and asked him not to raise power tariff in the city.

Lovely and party leader Haroon Yusuf complained to the DERC that the power companies were refusing to comply with the audit by the CAG. They said that the power companies have not yet prepared any action plan to tackle the situation in the coming summer months, which will create problems for people.