Sangam Vihar MLA cries foul, says 'an attempt to defame me'

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Dinesh Mohaniya, who has been booked for allegedly 'misbehaving' with women, today alleged that it was an attempt to defame his reputation as the water mafia is frustrated because of the Delhi Government's crackdown.

Downplaying the allegations being levelled against him, the Sangam Vihar MLA told ANI that the woman complainant never visited his office.

"There is no video or photographic proof to back this allegation. It is an attempt to defame me. The water mafia is now frustrated because of our crackdown," Mohaniya said.

"She never came to my office. There is no video footage. Everyone is running the news that there is a video, but no one is ready to show any such video. I am not there in the video neither does the woman," he added.

Mohaniya said that he was ready to face a probe by the Delhi Police if indeed there is any complaint against him.

"The people have made it a national news without knowing the truth. No one even took my version of the story. No one has talked to that woman. I never had a direct talk with that woman. Till now, I didn't have any communication with the police," he added.

Earlier in the day, the Congress attempted to corner the AAP on this issue and said the 'opportunist' Arvind Kejriwal-led party has completely lost the moral authority to speak about principled politics.

Congress leader P.C. Chacko said it is strange that the AAP on one hand claims of practicing clean politics while on the other hand its MLAs are being caught for nefarious activities.

"The Aam Aadmi Party is setting a very good record in Delhi. They claim that they are going to have clean politics and anti-corruption atmosphere in Delhi. But one by one, their MLAs are being caught in corruption cases," he told ANI.

An FIR has been lodged against Mohaniya, who is also the vice-chairman of Delhi Jal Board, after locals alleged that the MLA and his supporters roughed them up and misbehaved with women in his office when they went to complain about irregular water supply.

The case has been registered under Section 506 (criminal intimidation), Section 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and Section 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) of the Indian Penal Code at the Neb Sarai Police Station.

"When we went to Dinesh Mohaniya's office, he refused to identify me. I visit his office everyday to bring water-related issues to his notice. The most important part is that he doesn't even sign or puts a stamp on our complaints. After that, he pushed me and other women and even abused us. We want that an FIR should be registered against him and he should be arrested," said the complainant.

"When he abused and pushed us, we also did the same. Are we here to be beaten up? There is a severe water issue here. We went there only to ask for water and not for money," she added.

The incident took place last evening.