Artists were questioned and let off after verification: Police

Image
Press Trust of India New Delhi
Last Updated : May 25 2016 | 9:32 PM IST
The artists including a Frenchman who were allegedly forced to write "Swachh Bharat Abhiyan" instead of a Urdu couplet on a DJB property in northeast Delhi's Shahdara by a mob, were questioned and later let off by the police after "verification".
"The police received a call about someone writing something on the wall in a foreign language. The two men were questioned only to verify why and what they were writing on the wall," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northeast) A K Singla said today.
The incident took place on May 20 when French artist Swen Simon and Akhlaq Ahmed were painting a couplet in Urdu on a wall of the Delhi Jal Board's building in Shahdara.
"They said that they were working for a Delhi government campaign. This too was verified after talking to the concerned minister and they were let off," Singla said adding that the police ensured that no law and order issue takes place there.
However, Delhi Water minister and DJB chairman Kapil Mishra alleged that a group of RSS workers "misbehaved and forced" the artists commissioned by the AAP government to deface their own wall-writing in praise of the capital in Urdu and replaced it with words 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan'.
However, the RSS "vehemently" refuted the charges and said that it doesn't believe in any kind of violence or such activity.
"AAP leaders are trying to make RSS a punching bag. They are indulging in such kind of things only to divert the public attention from the utter failure of administration in Delhi," spokesman of Delhi unit of RSS said.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: May 25 2016 | 9:32 PM IST

Next Story