Chief Secretary row: AAP MLA Amanatullah surrenders

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Aam Aadmi Party's Amanatullah Khan, one of the two legislators who had allegedly attacked Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash, surrendered at a police station here on Wednesday, police said.

Special Commissioner of Police Dependra Pathak told IANS that Khan surrendered at the Jamia Nagar Police Station.

"He presented himself this afternoon at the police station and he is now being handed over to the concerned North District police. He'll be questioned," Pathak said.

On Tuesday, the Chief Secretary had alleged that he was beaten up by Khan and his colleague in front of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal at the latter's residence on Monday midnight, where he was called for a meeting.

Earlier on Wednesday, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Harendra Kumar Singh told IANS that police were trying to track down Khan and they had been to the Okhla legislator's residence late on Tuesday night, but he was not present.

On Tuesday night, the second AAP MLA Prakash Jarwal was arrested by the police in connection with the alleged assault and, on Wednesday morning, Chief Minister Kejriwal's advisor V.K. Jain was questioned at the Civil Lines Police station in connection with the issue.

The Chief Minister's advisor was present at the time of the assault, according to Prakash's police complaint.

The allegation of the assault has triggered a political storm in the national capital. While the the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has demanded Kejriwal's resignation, the Congress has asked for the AAP chief's apology.

The AAP hit back by stating that the Chief Secretary was making false allegations and said he was working at the "behest of the BJP".

The Home Ministry has sought a report from Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal on the issue and Home Minister Rajnath Singh said he was "deeply pained" by the development.

The the body representing bureaucrats had registered a strong protest against the alleged assault. They had worn black badges in protest on Tuesday.

They would not meet or talk over the phone to the Delhi Chief Minister or his ministers or MLAs till Kejriwal apologised for the alleged assault and took action.

On Tuesday afternoon, Delhi Environment Minister Imran Hussain was manhandled by a crowd which gathered outside the door of a lift inside the Delhi Secretariat.

Hussain's Assistant Personal Secretary was beaten up, according to multiple video clips from the Secretariat.

--IANS

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