New Delhi: Even though it came as a surprise for Lipika Mitra, Aam Aadmi Party legislator Somnath Bharti's wife, she thanked Delhi chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal for asking her husband to surrender before the police, in a case of domestic violence and attempt to murder filed by her.
Police teams are looking for the former Delhi law minister since yesterday, after the Delhi High Court rejected his anticipatory bail in the case.
"It's good that the Chief Minister has finally spoken out albeit after taking so much time. I am grateful to him," Ms Mitra said.
Kejriwal broke his silence on the controversy involving his former ministerial colleague, questioning Bharti's act of going into hiding and asked him to surrender, in a series of tweets.
Ms Mitra said, "Considering they were defending him and made him speak on issues as women empowerment, I am definitely surprised that the Chief Minister has taken this stand... He should act as a Chief Minister first and friend later."
On being told that Bharti was avoiding arrest as he may appeal in the Supreme Court, his estranged wife said, "Whoever is advising him is definitely not his well-wisher... Delhi Police is doing what it can. He should come out and cooperate with police."
Ms Mitra, whom Bharti married in 2010, has accused him of beating and torturing her; she has alleged that he once tried to strangle her and ordered his dog, Don, to attack her when she was pregnant.
