Aam Aadmi Party MLA Naresh Yadav has been booked in connection with alleged June 24 sacrilege incident in Malerkotla and Punjab Police will summon him for questioning after one of accused claimed that he had acted at the behest of the legislator.
AAP termed it as a "political conspiracy" to defame the party ahead of 2017 assembly polls.
Questioning Punjab police's investigation in the Malerkotla incident, AAP demanded a Supreme Court monitored SIT probe into it.
"AAP MLA has been booked under various sections of IPC and his name added in the FIR already registered in connection with Malerkotla sacrilege incident," Sangrur SSP Prithpal Singh Thind said today.
The MLA has been booked under various sections of IPC including 109 (punishment of abetment if the act abetted is committed in consequence and where no express provision is made for its punishment), 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth etc and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), 295 injury or defiling place of worship with an intent to insult the religion of any class).
"We will summon AAP MLA Naresh Yadav in order to question him regarding Malerkotla incident," Thind said, adding his name has surfaced during questioning of an accused, who had been arrested for his alleged role in the incident.
"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," the SSP said.
Asked whether police suspected Mehrauli MLA was the mastermind behind the incident, he said it will be known after Yadav's questioning.
When asked if police will arrest him, Thind said "We are collecting evidence in the case."
Asked about reports suggesting the accused was offered Rs 1 crore for the alleged act at the behest of MLA, SSP said, "Investigations are underway and we are verifying it."
However, Yadav and his Aam Aadmi Party alleged that it was a "political conspiracy" to malign the party's image ahead of Assembly polls in Punjab where it is stepping up campaign with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal beginning his three-day visit today.
Sangrur police had arrested three persons--Vijay Kumar, Nand Kishor Goldy and Gaurav--on June 27 in the case.
Vijay, an accused in the case and resident of Delhi, had claimed yesterday in Patiala that he did that at the behest of Yadav.
"We have taken two-day transit remand of Vijay from the
court and he will be taken to Delhi as part of our probe," Sangrur DSP (Malerkotla) Randhir Singh said today.
Violence had erupted after the alleged sacrilege incident in Malerkotla on June 24 in which a mob even attacked the house of the local Akali Dal MLA Farzana Nissara Khatoon, wife of a former Punjab DGP.
Several policemen including a DSP were injured as about 300-400 protesters had hurled stone and torched a car.
Rejecting the charge against Yadav, senior leader and AAP incharge of Punjab, Sanjay Singh accused BJP and Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal government of "playing dirty politics out of sheer frustration".
"People know who was behind Malerkotla incident...It is BJP, RSS and VHP. We are winning over 100 seats (out of total of 117) in Punjab and therefore Badal government and BJP are playing dirty politics out of frustration," Singh claimed.
AAP has four Lok Sabha MPs from Punjab, but it will be contesting its maiden assembly polls in the state next year.
Rejecting police investigation into the Malerkotla incident, Singh sought a Supreme Court monitored SIT probe into the incident.
"We do not believe in their investigation. I will seek time from Punjab DGP and shall meet SSP (Sangrur). We are not going to get scared of these allegations. They (Punjab police) cannot undertake independent investigation. We want Supreme Court-monitored SIT to be formed to probe the matter and punish whoever is found guilty," he said.
Punjab Chief Minister refused to comment on the matter, saying investigation is on.
"Earlier, Congress used to divide the community. And now others have moved on the same path. But I do not want to say anything on this matter as investigation is going on,"he said.
Rebutting the charge, AAP MLA Naresh Yadav claimed a false case has been made out by his political opponents under a "well hatched conspiracy".
"I have been doing work in Punjab for the last one-and-a- half years. Political opponents here are trying to fix me in a false case under a conspiracy. They know members of all communities are with us and we are going to win polls with a big majority. We will not be scared of FIR, jail, and we are not running away from any investigation.
"A lot of people meet me. If somebody who has met me he commits a crime, it does not mean I should be punished," the AAP MLA said.
"It is a big political conspiracy and SAD and BJP are behind it because they are losing their ground and people in Punjab are fed up with them," he alleged.
