After booking former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Kumar Vishwas and Congress leader Alka Lamba for allegedly promoting enmity by making untrue statements against Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal accusing him of having links with ‘separatist elements’, the Punjab police on Wednesday served notices on Mr. Vishwas and Ms. Lamba to join the investigation.
A police team visited Mr. Vishwas’s home in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad to serve him a notice to present evidence to substantiate his allegations. Ms. Lamba, who was earlier associated with the AAP, was also served a notice by pasting it outside her house in Delhi, summoning her to be present in person before the Special Investigation Team at the Rupnagar police station on or before April 26.
The police on April 12 registered the case at Rupnagar’s Sadar police station under different Sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place etc.), 505 (whoever makes, publishes or circulates any statement, rumour or report), 120-B (criminal conspiracy), besides Section 125 of the Representation of the People Act (Promoting enmity between classes in connection with election).
Mr. Vishwas, during the high-voltage election campaign for the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections, had accused Mr. Kejriwal of supporting separatists.
AAP man’s complaint
The Punjab police in a statement said the case against Mr. Vishwas was based on a complaint of an AAP supporter. It had been alleged that while he was roaming with party supporters in villages to address the grievances of the people, he was stopped by some unidentified masked persons, who called them ‘Khalistani’ and such incidents were constantly occurring. The complaint added that it all started after Mr. Vishwas made ‘inflammatory statements’ against Mr. Kejriwal on news channels, social media platforms, accusing the AAP of having links with separatist elements. As a result of these statements and videos, the peaceful atmosphere in Punjab was likely to deteriorate.
The statement said that as part of the probe, Mr. Vishwas had been given the notice to present any evidence to substantiate his allegations. “The matter is being investigated as per facts and law,” it added.
Hitting out at the AAP, opposition parties including the Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party, and the Shiromani Akali Dal accused the AAP of misusing the Punjab police to suppress the voice of political opponents.
‘Misuse of police’
Leader of the Opposition in Punjab and Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa tweeted, “The @AAPPunjab is using Punjab Police as their private security staff. Sending SIT notices & threatening those who have spoken out against them. This is a political attack against an individual who stood firm in her beliefs. Absolutely uncalled for action by Punjab Police.”
BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh alleged that Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on behalf of his mentor Arvind Kejriwal was making blatant misuse of the Punjab police to unleash political vendetta against Mr. Kejriwal’s rivals.
Senior SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema said, “The AAP is misusing the Punjab police to suppress the voice of political opponents. From political opponents to media persons no body is being spared. The SAD strongly condemns this dictatorial action of the AAP and urges Mr. Kejriwal to stop creating emergency-like situation.”
