The Punjab Police has registered a case against former AAP leader Kumar Vishwas under various charges for his “inflammatory” remarks against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal during the run-up to the assembly elections earlier this year.

“A case was registered on a complaint against former AAP leader Kumar Vishwas. He has been booked under Sections 153, 153-A, 505, and others of IPC at Rupnagar’s Sadar police station,” said Ropar SP H S Atwal.

“The complainant had reported that when he was roaming in the villages along with his Aam Admi Party supporters for grievance redressal of the people, some unknown masked men stopped them and called them Khalistani. The complainant added that similar incidents have been regularly occurring. All this started after Kumar Vishwas gave inflammatory statements against AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal alleging AAP links with separatist elements,” Atwal added.

A notice has been served to Vishwas to produce evidence supporting the allegations made by him against Kejriwal.

Meanwhile, a team of Punjab Police reached the residence of the poet-turned-politician to service notice asking him to join the investigation. Taking to Twitter, Vishwas cautioned Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, saying that the party leadership will betray him too.

“The Punjab police arrived at my doorstep early morning. I am cautioning Bhagwant Mann, who I admitted into the party myself, that the person sitting in Delhi who you are letting play with the power given by the people of Punjab, will betray both you and Punjab one day. The country should remember my warning,” the former AAP leader had said on Twitter along with some pictures of cops at his residence. 

BJP Punjab General secretary Subhash Sharma accused Arvind Kejriwal of using the Punjab police to settle personal scores. “The police landing first at Tajinder Bagga’s residence and now Kumar Vishwas shows that Bhagwant Mann has fully surrendered in front of Arvind Kejriwal,” he said in a Tweet.

Vishwas had triggered a controversy when he accused Kejriwal of wanting “to become the prime minister of independent Khalistan”. Kejriwal and the AAP remained under attack from both the Congress and the BJP over the issue and some AAP workers were also roughed up during the election campaign. The Centre went on to provide Y category security cover to Vishwas.