‘Only politics in name of Hindus’: AAP jabs BJP after offering job to Delhi riot victim’s kin

The AAP leadership also alleged that the large-scale communal violence in the national capital was "a well-thought-out plan and a conspiracy" of the BJP, according to a PTI report.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) does politics in the name of Hindus, but nothing for members of the community who suffered during the 2020 riots in northeast Delhi.

The Delhi riots of 2020.

The AAP leadership also alleged that the large-scale communal violence in the national capital was "a well-thought-out plan and a conspiracy" of the BJP, according to a PTI report.

Earlier in the day, AAP convenor and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal offered a job to the brother of Ankit Sharma, an Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer who was killed during the riots.

AAP's political affairs committee and national executive member Durgesh Pathak said, "We had a feeling that the BJP, which would certainly not help Muslims as it hates them, would help Hindu society. But it is very unfortunate that BJP, which only plays politics in the name of Hindus, did not come forward to help any of the Hindu families who were victims of the riots."

Pathak said the Kejriwal government had helped the riot victims "in all possible ways". Apart from handing over the job to the slain officer's brother, the chief minister's office said Kejriwal had last year handed over a cheque of ₹1 crore to Sharma's family.

Pathak said, "Why didn't the BJP government at the Centre do anything for his family when the IB comes under it? Ankit Sharma was a Hindu." He demanded that the BJP and its leaders apologise to the Hindu society for not helping any of the victims of the Delhi riots.

The AAP leader appealed to the "Hindu society" to ask the BJP leaders seeking their votes why they did not do anything for the family of the IB officer who was killed during the riots.

"This is an eye-opener for everybody," he said, adding, "The BJP and its leaders are not just against Muslims but Hindus as well."

Following a resounding victory in Punjab where it won 92 seats in the 117-member Assembly, the AAP is eyeing polls in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh to be held later this year.

(With agency inputs)