Punjab Police have registered a case against former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Kumar Vishwas and Alka Lamba for promoting enmity by allegedly make false statements against AAP national convener and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s Khalistan links in the run-up to the February 20 assembly elections.
Congress leader Alka Lamba was booked along with Vishwas, superintendent of police Harbir Singh Atwal said, adding that a police team had been sent to serve a notice to her to join investigation.
Also read: Kumar Vishwas claims Punjab cops reached his house; gives warning to Mann
Though the case against Vishwas was registered on the complaint of an AAP worker at Rupnagar’s Sadar police station on April 12, the matter came to light on Wednesday when a Punjab Police team reached his Ghaziabad house to summon him to join investigation within 48 hours. He has been booked under Section 125 of the Representation of People Act besides Sections 153, 153-A, 505, 502, 116, 143, 147, 323 and 341 of the Indian Penal Code.
{{/usCountry}}Though the case against Vishwas was registered on the complaint of an AAP worker at Rupnagar’s Sadar police station on April 12, the matter came to light on Wednesday when a Punjab Police team reached his Ghaziabad house to summon him to join investigation within 48 hours. He has been booked under Section 125 of the Representation of People Act besides Sections 153, 153-A, 505, 502, 116, 143, 147, 323 and 341 of the Indian Penal Code.
{{/usCountry}}The complainant said that when he was campaigning in a village along with AAP supporters, some masked men stopped them and called them Khalistani.
‘False statements’ incited violence: FIR
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.
“The FIR has been registered on the basis of a complaint that Kumar Vishwas made wrong statements in his interviews for promoting enmity in society. It has been alleged that AAP workers faced violence during the elections due to the wrong statements of Vishwas,” Rupnagar senior superintendent of police (SSP) Sandeep Garg said.
“As a result of these statements and videos, the peaceful atmosphere of Punjab is likely to be disturbed. As a part of the investigation, notice has been served upon Kumar Vishwas to produce whatever evidence he has to support his allegations. The matter is being investigated as per facts and the law,” the SSP said.
On Wednesday morning, soon after the Punjab Police team landed up at Vishwas’s house to serve him notice to join the investigation, the SSP said: “When the police reached to serve the notice, asking him to join investigation, he was not home. If Vishwas fails to join the probe within 48 hours, he will be arrested following the due course of law.”
‘Person in Delhi’ will betray you, Punjab: Vishwas to Mann
Vishwas tweeted a photo of the Punjab Police team at his residence, criticising Kejriwal and Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann. He warned Mann against “the person sitting in Delhi (Kejriwal)” saying he will “betray you and Punjab”. “You are now giving Punjab’s power to the person sitting in Delhi. One day, he will betray Punjab and you. The country should remember my warning,” he tweeted in Hindi.
Earlier this month, Punjab Police booked two Delhi BJP leaders Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga and Naveen Kumar Jindal. Bagga was booked as he had been attacking Kejriwal over his remarks on the movie The Kashmir Files, while Jindal was booked for sharing a doctored video clip of Kejriwal on April 6.
BJP leader Tarun Chugh accused the ruling AAP government of politicising the police force to settle political scores.