NEW DELHI: Several Aam Aadmi Party leaders, including its Delhi unit president Saurabh Bharadwaj, were detained on Sunday while staging a protest against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over an alleged doctored video linked to Sikh Guru Guru Tegh Bahadur.
The protest was held near the BJP headquarters, where AAP leaders demanded a public apology from Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.
Before the protesters could reach the BJP office, the Delhi Police stopped them with barricades and detained them. Bharadwaj and several other leaders were taken to IP Estate police station, where they held a sit-in and raised slogans against the BJP.
In a series of posts on X, AAP accused BJP leaders of circulating a fabricated video involving the Sikh Guru. The party said the clip had hurt religious sentiments and demanded that the BJP take responsibility for what it called a deliberate attempt to create discord.
Bharadwaj said a forensic report had confirmed that the video circulated by BJP minister Kapil Mishra was fake and had been altered by inserting false words. He demanded legal action against Mishra, alleging that the video was used to provoke communal tension and defame former Delhi CM and Leader of Opposition Atishi.
Questioning police conduct, Bharadwaj said BJP leaders were allowed to protest outside the AAP headquarters without any action, while AAP leaders were detained while attempting to protest peacefully. He also alleged that the Delhi Police was delaying the investigation despite the Punjab Police completing a forensic examination of the clip within a day.
Burari MLA Sanjeev Jha said the Sikh community was deeply hurt by the circulation of the video and accused BJP leaders of using religious sentiments for political gain. He said the AAP would continue its protest until the BJP issued a public apology.
BJP claims growing rift within AAP
Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor on Sunday said a political rift has developed within AAP, with MLAs distancing themselves from Atishi, allegedly with Kejriwal’s approval. He claimed Kejriwal attempted to suppress the Sikh-related controversy by getting Atishi’s remarks declared fabricated. Kapoor added that AAP could mobilise only about 100 workers for the protest, while 21 of its 22 MLAs did not attend, highlighting the growing divide.