Caught in a double trouble, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday issued an apology for publishing picture of Golden Temple and party symbol ‘broom’ on the title page of party’s youth manifesto and then comparing the same with holy scriptures of the Sikhs, Hindus, and Christians in a speech at its release.
AAP, which is already facing embarrassment after registration of a criminal case against one of its Delhi MlA in Malerkotla sacrilege incident, embroiled in another controversy for hurting religious sentiments.
Party spokesperson Ashish Khetan, while addressing mediapersons at Khanna, said that he had no intention to hurt anyone’s sentiments. “If the comparison of the manifesto with sacred books has caused emotional harm to anyone, I apologise,” he said with folded hands.
The manifesto was released by Delhi Chief Minister and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal in Amritsar on Sunday. Khetan, during his address, had said that party’s manifesto was like Gita, Guru Granth Sahib and Bible for him.
Also issuing an apology for the picture of a ‘broom’ along with that of Sikhs’ holiest shrine, the Golden Temple, on the manifesto cover, AAP leader Kanwar Sandhu said that all the covers will now be changed and this was unintentional.
The apology comes in the wake of a widespread criticism of AAP, particularly by the ruling Akali-BJP combine, and the Congress.
Besides SAD, BJP and Congress, the US-based North American Punjabi Association (NAPA) has also strongly condemned AAP for printing a picture of Darbar Sahib along with a broom symbol on its manifesto that was released by Arvind Kejriwal for upcoming Punjab Assembly elections.
“This action of AAP has hurt the religious sentiments of the Sikh community across the globe,” said NAPA director Balwant Singh Manteca while urging AAP to correct this mistake as soon as possible to avoid any kind of opposition from the Sikh Community.