Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Naresh Yadav has been booked in connection with the June 24 incident of desecration of the Quran in Malerkotla.
The Punjab police is set to summon him for questioning after one of accused claimed that he had acted at the behest of the legislator.
The AAP has termed the charges a “political conspiracy” to defame the party ahead of the 2017 assembly polls.
Questioning the Punjab police’s investigations into the incident, the AAP demanded a Supreme Court- monitored SIT probe.
“AAP MLA has been booked under various sections of IPC and his name added in the FIR already registered in connection with Malerkotla sacrilege incident,” Sangrur SSP Prithpal Singh Thind said on Sunday.
The MLA has been booked under various sections of the IPC including 109 (punishment of abetment if the act abetted is committed in consequence and where no express provision is made for its punishment), 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth etc and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), 295 (injury or defiling place of worship with an intent to insult the religion of any class).
“We will summon AAP MLA Naresh Yadav to question him regarding Malerkotla incident,” Mr Thind said, adding that his name had surfaced during questioning of an accused, who had been arrested for his alleged role in the incident.
“During our questioning of the accused, it was revealed that he had met him (AAP MLA). Calls were also exchanged between the accused and AAP MLA,” the SSP said.
However, Yadav and his Aam Aadmi Party alleged that it was a “political conspiracy” to malign the party’s image ahead of Assembly polls in Punjab where it is stepping up campaign with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal beginning his three-day visit.
The Sangrur police arrested three persons, Vijay Kumar, Nand Kishor Goldy and Gaurav, on June 27.
