Dismissing the charges of Mehrauli MlA Naresh Yadav’s involvement in the Malerkotla sacrilege incident, the Aam Aadmi Party on Sunday hit out at the BJP-SAD alliance in Punjab saying that it is the popularity of AAP that has “rattled” the ruling dispensation prompting it to “cook up” cases.
Sanjay Singh, the party’s Punjab in-charge, targeted the Badals over the Punjab Police’s decision to summon Yadav, whose name has reportedly cropped up during the ongoing probe into the incident that had sparked violence. “Badal has cooked up this case. Dirty politics by the BJP and the SAD has begun in the form of conspiracies to frame our MlAs. They are rattled by AAP’s popularity. People will respond to the game being played by the Badals and the BJP,” Singh said in a series of tweets.
He added that he will meet the Punjab DGP on Monday over the case. Yadav also dismissed Punjab Police’s claim that he was in touch with one of the accused of the June 24 incident.
Sangrur SSP Prithpal Singh had told the media that during the investigation and questioning of the accused, it came to light that the accused had met the AAP MlA and that calls were also exchanged between them.
“Hundreds of people come to meet me every day. I don’t know the accused nor have I called him. It is a political conspiracy. And if the charges are proven right, then I am ready to be hanged,” Yadav said.
“When everyone across the country, the Hindus, Mulsims, Sikhs and Christians, support us and we are winning the elections, then why will I do itIJ The whole country knows that only one party can do this,” he added.
CM Arvind Kejriwal is on a three-day visit to Punjab. The AAP is aiming to wrest power in the northern State where it will cross swords with the ruling SAD-BJP combine and the Congress in Assembly polls due early next year.