CHANDIGARH-- Ahead of Arvind Kejriwal’s three-day visit to Punjab beginning today, Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Mehrauli (South) in Delhi, Naresh Yadav, was on Saturday named in an FIR related to a recent case of alleged ‘desecration’ of the Quran.
Punjab police will question MLA Naresh Yadav in a case of alleged desecration of the Quran that led to arson in the state’s Muslim-majority town of Malerkotla on June 24.
The police had claimed that Vijay Kumar wanted to “take revenge for Dinanagar and Pathankot terrorist attacks” and had told them he “hated Pakistan and Muslims”, reported Indian Express.
Refuting the allegations, Yadav alleged that it was a conspiracy to malign the party's image ahead of Assembly polls in Punjab.
"We will summon AAP MLA Naresh Yadav in order to question him regarding Malerkotla incident," Sangrur SSP Prithpal Singh Thind said.
He said the MLA's name has appeared while questioning the accused who had been arrested for their alleged role in the sacrilege of a religious book in Malerkotla.
"During our investigation and questioning of accused, it was revealed that accused had met him (AAP MLA).
"Calls were also exchanged between the accused and AAP MLA," claimed Thind.
Asked whether police suspected Mehrauli MLA as the mastermind behind the sacrilege incident, SSP said it will be known after questioning Yadav.
The Sangrur police had arrested three men Vijay Kumar, Nand Kishor Goldy and Gaurav - on June 27 in connection with the Malerkotla case.
AAP also lashed out at the ruling SAD-BJP alliance over the issue. Its leader Ashutosh said it reflects BJP's desperation as his party is "sweeping" the polls scheduled to be held early next year.
"Now ruling Akalis do not have any issue with them for contesting polls and they know that they are losing their ground.
"Therefore they have resorted to these things which are highly condemnable. It is a political conspiracy to defame AAP ahead of elections. We knew that ruling party will indulge in such cheap moves," AAP's Punjab Convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur said.
Kejriwal is in Amritsar today as part of his three- day visit to Punjab. He will release the party's youth manifesto, besides meeting different section of the society at Gurdaspur, Ludhiana, Malerkotla, Jalandhar and Khanna.
BJP and Congress attacked AAP over the issue saying Arvind Kejriwal's party has been exposed.
"People have seen the real face of AAP, which is trying to create communal tension in Punjab for electoral gains but it will not be successful," BJP MP Manoj Tiwari said.
Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit said AAP was led by a person who is "mad with lust of power". "AAP is a communal party and it will exploit any emotive issue," he said.
With inputs from PTI