Defacing nameplate of Shoma Chaudhury: Vijay Jolly questioned for several hours

New Delhi: Senior Delhi BJP leader Vijay Jolly was on Friday questioned for several hours by Delhi Police in connection with the defacing of the nameplate outside the residence of Tehelka's ex-Managing Editor Shoma Chaudhury.

Jolly has to appear before Saket police station again Saturday in order to get his statement recorded in the matter.

Police registered a case of rioting, wrongful restrain and defacement against Jolly and his supporters and a notice under section 160 of CrPC was issued to him to appear at the police station Friday morning.

The BJP leader, however, arrived at the station around four hours late and was accompanied by his lawyers.

"Jolly arrived at Saket police station around 2 pm along with advocates and was questioned by the Station House Officer till 6 pm. Jolly was given a questionnaire related to the incident," a senior police officer said.

He was also questioned about the source of the paint which he had allegedly brought to the spot.

"We also asked him who had directed him to register a protest in that manner and we have asked him to appear again on Saturday to record his statement," the officer added.

On whether Jolly would be arrested, another senior officer said, "We have registered a case against him and if needed, he will be arrested."

Next: Jolly has represented BJP's culture, says Congress

Jolly has represented BJP's culture, says Cong

New Delhi: Congress on Saturday launched a sharp attack on BJP over the defacing of nameplate of Tehelka's former Managing Editor Shoma Chaudhury's house by Vijai Jolly saying it amounts to the defacing the person itself and the leader with the act has represented the culture of his party.

"BJP should take action against Jolly, if it is truly apologetic over the incident. Jolly is infact representing the culture of BJP," party general secretary in-charge for Delhi Shakeel Ahmed told reporters.

Congress spokesperson Meem Afzal said that "This is very old temperament of BJP. Their such behaviour with media is not new. How many times that party will seek apology."

He said Jolly had maintained that he was very angry over the Tehelka sexual assault case but it is 'surprising that his anger over the exploitation of a woman was vented on a woman itself and that woman, who had stepped down from Tehelka in the morning itself'.

Afzal said that "defacing someone's nameplate is tantamount to defacing the person itself" and Jolly's act of defacing the woman journalist as such reflects the temperament of the BJP leadership.

"Jolly seems to be very educated. He had contested against the Congress Chief Minister. BJP then must have fielded him from that seat considering him a senior and seasoned leader.

"He is also chairman of some foreign affair cell within the BJP. What good diplomacy, he would have maintained outside the country, when he is doing the same within the country. People of Delhi will reply by their vote whether they have accepted the apology of Jolly or not," Afzal said.

Jolly had led BJP workers in the protest demanding Shoma's immediate arrest for allegedly trying to cover up sexual harassment complaint filed against the magazine's Editor Tarun Tejpal by a woman journalist.

The protesters not only painted the word 'accused' on Chaudhury's nameplate, some of them also went on to surround and jostle the journalist as she was leaving her house. The incident received wide condemnation and BJP distanced itself from the protesters with senior party leader Sushma Swaraj saying their act was "not civilised".