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AAP’s Delhi MLA Yadav gets 2-yr jail in Malerkotla Quran sacrilege case
On June 24, 2016, torn pages of the Quran were found scattered on a road in Malerkotla. This led to violence in which an angry mob torched some vehicles. Four persons, including the AAP MLA, were arrested in the case.
A Malerkotla court on Saturday awarded a two-year sentence to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA from Delhi’s Mehrauli Naresh Yadav in a 2016 case of desecration of the Quran.
The court of additional district and sessions judge Parminder Singh Grewal convicted Yadav in the case on Friday and pronounced the verdict on Saturday.
A fine of ₹11,000 was also imposed on Yadav who appeared before the court when the sentence was pronounced. He has been sent to the Malerkotla jail.
On June 24, 2016, torn pages of the Quran were found scattered on a road in Malerkotla. This led to violence in which an angry mob torched some vehicles. Four persons, including the AAP MLA, were arrested in the case.
The court upheld the two-year sentence of two others — Vijay Kumar and Gaurav Kumar — by a lower court. Yadav has been convicted under Sections 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.
Yadav was acquitted in the sacrilege case in March 2021 by a lower court. However, complainant Mohammad Ashraf filed an appeal challenging Yadav and another accused Nand Kishore’s acquittal. The court has upheld Kishore’s acquittal.
Initially, the police had booked Vijay, Gaurav and Kishore. Later, Yadav’s name was added based on circumstantial evidence and statements of other accused arrested in the case.
Yadav, while coming out of the court, claimed that it was a false case against him and an attempt to tarnish the image of his party.
Opposition hits out at AAP
Hours after the conviction, Congress, BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal accused AAP of fuelling riots in the state.
Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa posted on micro-blogging site X: “Arvind Kejriwal promised justice in sacrilege cases, but his own MLA, Naresh Yadav, has been convicted in the Malerkotla Quran sacrilege case. Aam Aadmi Party, which claimed the moral high ground, stands exposed. Instead of healing Punjab, they’ve fuelled unrest. Bhagwant Mann’s silence is a telling one.”
Punjab BJP also slammed AAP and said: “AAP’s true face has been exposed! Bhagwant Mann and Arvind Kejriwal must answer for their lies & divisive politics.”
