Kumar Vishwas booked over 'inflammatory statements'
CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Police on Wednesday visited homes of former AAP leader Kumar Vishwas and Congress' Alka Lamba in connection with a case registered over "inflammatory statements" against Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.
Both leaders have been summoned for questioning on April 26.
The case was lodged against Vishwas in Rupnagar town's Sadar police station on April 12. The former AAP leader ahead of the Assembly elections had accused Kejriwal of supporting separatists.
Vishwas shared information in a tweet about a police team visiting his Ghaziabad home on Wednesday morning and warned that AAP chief will one day "betray" Punjab.
"The Punjab Police visited in the morning. I am forewarning @BhagwantMann, whom I had inducted into the party, that the person sitting in Delhi, who is being allowed to play with the power of people, will one day betray you and
Punjab," said Vishwas in a tweet.
Congress leader Alka Lamba said the Punjab police pasted a notice outside her Delhi home, summoning her for questioning in the case registered against Vishwas. She has been accused of backing the remarks made by Vishwas.
The move drew the ire of the Opposition in Punjab, which accused the Bhagwant Mann-led government of acting like AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal's "puppet" and "using the force to silence critics".
Rupanagar Senior Superintendent of Police Sandeep Garg said over the phone, "We have registered a case under relevant provisions of the law against Kumar Vishwas."
In a notice, Vishwas has also been asked to produce evidence to support his allegations.
A complainant, stated to be an Aam Aadmi Party supporter, in a complaint to police had said Vishwas gave "inflammatory statements" against Kejriwal on news channels and social media platforms, alleging links with separatist elements.
The complainant claimed that when he was roaming in villages along with AAP supporters for the redress of people's grievances, some unknown masked men stopped them and called them Khalistani.
"Similar incidents have been regularly occurring. All this started after Kumar Vishwas gave inflammatory statements against AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal on news channels/ social media platforms alleging AAP links with separatist elements," the official release issued by the Rupnagar police said.
"As a result of these statements and videos, the peaceful atmosphere of the state of Punjab is likely to be disturbed," alleged the complainant.
"As part of the investigation, a notice has been served upon Kumar Vishwas to produce whatever evidence he has to support his allegations," said police in the statement.
When contacted, SP (Rupnagar) HS Atwal said Lamba has been summoned for questioning in the case while pointing out that she had supported Vishwas's "inflammatory statements."
Punjab Congress Legislature Party leader Partap Singh Bajwa also condemned the police action and said Aam Aadmi Party came to power on the promise of bringing a change but it seems it has started taking revenge.
"Pb Govt is acting like @ArvindKerjwail's puppet Police action against @DrKumarVishwas & @LambaAlka ji shows that it is being used to silence his critics Congress stands firmly with Alka ji Will accompany her to police station to protest against politicisation
of Pb Police," said former Congress MLA Navjot Sidhu in a tweet.
