AAP sacrilege controversy: Hindu organisations also join protests : India, News – India Today

A day after Aam Aadmi Party leader and National Spokesperson Ashish Khetan was booked under section 295A of IPC for allegedly hurting the religious sentiments, the Hindu organisations also joined the protests and filed a similar complaint against Ashish Khetan in a Mohali (SAS Nagar) police station.

The activists of Hindu Suraksha Samiti and All India Hindu Student Federation in a complaint written to the Superintendent of Police, Mohali on Thursday said that Ashish Khetan by comparing Shirimad Bhagwad Geeta with AAP’s manifesto has hurt religious sentiments of Hindus. Hence, a case may be registered against Arvind Kejriwal and Ashish Khetan.

THE COMPLAINT

“Shrimad Bhagwad Geeta is a pious Hindu scripture and I also have deep faith in this holy book. Ashish Khetan’s statement has hurt my religious feelings as he compared Shrimad Bhagwad Geeta with his party’s election manifesto. Action may be taken against Arvind Kejriwal and Ashish Khetan,” North India Chief, All India Student Federation,Nishant Sharma said in his complaint.

The activists of Hindu Suraksha Samiti and All India Hindu Student Federation also staged a protest outside the Mohali police station and shouted slogans against Arvind Kejriwal and Ashish Khetan. They also burnt the effigy of Arvind Kejriwal and Ahish Khetan and demanded their arrest.

Ashish Khetan while reading out AAP’s youth manifesto in Amritsar on July 3 in the presence of AAP’s national convenor Arvind Kejriwal had said that the manifesto was like Geeta, Quran, Guru Granth and Bible for them (AAP). His statement and the cover of the manifesto which had a photograph of Golden Temple and a broom had left the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal, BJP and Sikh organisations fuming.

APOLOGY FOR ‘SIN’

Shiromani Akali Dal, BJP and All India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF) had asked Kejriwal to tender an apology for his ‘sin’. Though Ashish Khetan had apologised on July 4 but it failed to satisfy AISSF which on Wednesday filed a criminal complaint against Ashish Khetan in an Amritsar police station.

Sources said Youth Akali Dal has also moved a similar complaint in the court. While the first case unser section 295A has already been registered against Ashish Khetan, others may follow. Khetan can be arrested anytime as the offence is non bailable.

AAP has clarified that its leaders have already tendered apology but some opposition leaders were politicising the issue. “Forgiveness is one of the commandments of Sikh religion. Ashish Khetan had already apologised and had inadvertently compared the manifesto with scriptures. There was hardly any need to stir-up the issue. Some people want to misuse religion for political gains,” AAP’s Punjab Convenor Sucha Singh Chotepur said.