BJP, its govts protecting 'goon' who incited riots in Punjab, says Sisodia
New Delhi: The AAP on Saturday accused the BJP and its governments of protecting its "goon" who incited riots in Punjab, a day after Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga was brought back to the Capital after a high-voltage drama that drew in the police of three states and triggered a political slugfest.
The Delhi BJP leader was arrested by Punjab Police from his home here, stopped in Haryana while being taken to Punjab and brought back to the national Capital by Delhi Police hours later.
The BJP has accused Punjab Police of "abducting" its leader, who has been vocal in his criticism of Arvind Kejriwal, and accused the AAP chief of pursuing vendetta through the state police. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), however, has rejected the charge and
said the Bagga was arrested for allegedly stoking communal tensions in Punjab.
The Delhi Police has registered a case of kidnapping based on a complaint by Bagga's father Preetpal Singh.
A day after, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia tweeted in Hindi, "The entire BJP and its governments are engaged in saving one of their goons who spoke against the brotherhood in Punjab and incited riots. "The BJP is a party of goons which makes even its government do the job of goons. Never even by mistake, these people talk about education, health, inflation and unemployment," he alleged.
AAP MP Sanjay Singh said the BJP has proved its credentials of it being a party of criminals, goons and vandals by preventing Bagga's arrest.
There is no doubt that he is a serial offender, a hate-monger and a fake news spreader but the way the BJP has misused the states' machinery to prevent his arrest only shows that it can go to any extent to protect such criminals, he said.
And, the BJP calling the Punjab police action against Bagga a misuse of state machinery by the AAP sounds like Osama Bin Laden talking about non-violence, he added.
AAP chief spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj said Bagga will have to appear before the Punjab Police sooner or later as a very legitimate case has been filed against him. There is no force in the world, and no court in India, that can let an accused sit out of the investigation in a criminal case. Bagga will be required to participate in the process and he will have to cooperate with the Punjab Police, Bharadwaj said.
The AAP had on Friday had claimed that Bagga was arrested from Delhi by the Punjab Police for trying to stoke communal tension and violence in the border state and rejected the BJP's charge of vendetta.Condemning the arrest of Tajinder Singh Bagga by the Punjab Police here, Delhi BJP leaders on Saturday staged a protest outside Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence and called him "a dictator".
Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta also alleged that with Bagga's arrest, it was clear that the Aam Aadmi Party's national convener had "misused" the Punjab Police for personal benefit.
"Kejriwal is a dictator. What was Bagga's crime? He just asked for Kejriwal's clarification on his remarks on '(The) Kashmir Files'. He was not allowed to wear a turban during the arrest," Gupta said, adding that the BJP will "not tolerate the insult to the turban". BJP National spokesperson R P Singh and BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa were also present during the protest.
R P Singh condemned the action by Punjab Police of manhandling Bagga's father and not allowing him to tie his turban. "It's a clear violation of one's fundamental rights. Both Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and Kejriwal should apologize for this insult to turban," he said. Sirsa said the issue is not about an individual's arrest but the real issue is how can one Sikh CM get other Sikh insulted.
