The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday criticised the central government for giving priority to the domestic violence case against its leader Somnath Bharti, saying it looks like the government does not want him to be released on bail.

“The attorney general, solicitor general and additional solicitor general were present in Bharti case. What was the reason behind their presence?” questioned AAP leader Ashutosh.

He sought to know if AAP MLA Bharti’s case was of such importance that all the three top law officers of the central government were needed to be present during the hearing on the bail plea of Bharti, Delhi’s former law minister.

One of Bharti’s lawyers, Deepak Khosla, hadasked party chief Arvind Kejriwal last week to support Bharti and not to drop him like a “hot potato”.

“Does the BJP-led central government feel that this case of marital discord is so important for it that it required the appearance of a constitutional functionary like the attorney general in the court?”

“When was the last time when all the three together represented the central government before this?” he asked, adding “if the three appeared in the black money or Italian marine case?”

He said that the central government was dictating terms to Delhi Police, like many other cases involving AAP workers and its intention of harassing the party has been proven beyond doubt.

“The combined appearance of three top law officers of the central government in a case of marital discord makes it clear that attempts are being made from the highest political quarters to interfere in the investigation,” Ashutosh said.

Bharti, who was arrested after surrendering to police on Monday, was named in an FIR filed by his wife Lipika Mitra.

Mitra has alleged that Bharti used to abuse her since marrying her in 2010. She said Bharti used to beat and torture her on occasions and even tried to kill her.

Bharti has been booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code relating to attempt to murder, cruelty towards wife, voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapon, criminal breach of trust, attempt to cause miscarriage without woman’s consent, cheating and criminal intimidation.