Delhi Chief Secretary assault case: Government mulling live streaming of official meetings

Anshu Prakash was allegedly assaulted by AAP MLAs and others during a meeting at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence on February 19.

Delhi chief secretary Anshu Prakash alleged that he was assaulted by a few AAP MLAs during a meeting at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence. Photo: PTI

NEW DELHI: As the stand-off between the Delhi government and bureaucrats over the alleged assault on Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash by ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs continues, with both sides upping the ante on Monday, the government is considering live streaming of all meetings with bureaucrats.
A government official said live feed of meetings, with audio output, would be made available on a website, and if the proposal was passed, funds would be allocated for it in the upcoming budget.

AAP spokesperson and Greater Kailash MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj tweeted: “All Meetings of Ministers and MLAs with Babus should be broadcasted live like Loksabha proceedings. Transparency at its best !!”
“Infact, I will request Hon’ble Speaker to allow media in all the Assembly Committee meetings like all progressive democracies in the world. YouTube is full of live broadcasts of US Commiittee Meetings,” Bharadwaj said in another tweet.

Raising their pitch against the government, officials appealed to Lt-Governor Anil Baijal and Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik to take strict action against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Deputy CM Manish Sisodia. In a resolution, the Joint Forum of Delhi Government Employees said instead of “apologising and admitting their mistake”, the CM and the Deputy CM were “in denial mode”, which “shows that they were a part of the conspiracy”.

AAP leaders Sanjay Singh and Ashutosh also met the police chief to seek justice for Food and Civil Supplies Minister Imran Hussain and Delhi Dialogue Commission’s Vice Chairman Ashish Khetan, who the party alleges were assaulted on February 20 at the Delhi Secretariat. They later said they gave Patnaik “video evidence” of the “assaults” on Hussain and Khetan.