Senior Aam Aadmi Party leader and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has come under fire for sharing a fake video alleging that a bus was torched under police protection during Sunday’s protest in Jamia Nagar area. Several media reports and TV channels have been claiming that the bus was damaged and not torched. They said that a violent mob tried to torch the bus but the policemen present on the site used water, preventing the fire from spreading.
Sisodia had on Sunday tweeted a video of the incident. He said, “The BJP scared of defeat in polls is putting Delhi on fire. AAP is against any kind of violence. It is BJP’s petty politics. See in this video how under police protection arson is being carried out.”
Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari slammed Sisodia for circulating the fake video and blamed ruling AAP leaders including its MLA Amanatullah Khan of instigating people. Urging students to not become a pawn of politicians like Sisodia and Khan, he said Sisodia was tweeting and retweeting contents that were provocative in nature.
The saffron party also filed a complaint with the Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik against Sisodia, Khan and other AAP leaders for hatching a criminal conspiracy and inciting violence. The complaint was signed by Tiwari, South Delhi BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri and others.
Tiwari said that the party wants a thorough and time-bound probe into the violence and arson in the Jamia Nagar area.
Meanwhile, the AAP defended its leaders and claimed that the BJP was taking all these steps as it is desperate and knows that it will be defeated in the elections. Delhi will go to polls in February next year.
“Aam Aadmi Party demands that those who were involved in violence should be identified and punished. But lathi-charging the innocent and leaving the actual culprits free is not acceptable. It is condemnable,” party leader Gopal Rai said.
On Sunday, protestors torched four public buses and two police vehicles in the Jamia Nagar area and clashed with police during a demonstration against the amended Citizenship Act. Police used batons and teargas shells to disperse the violent mob.