NEW DELHI: The BJP on Tuesday welcomed a Delhi court's conviction of former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain for the murder of Intelligence Bureau officer Ankit Sharma during the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, and demanded an apology from AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal for allegedly shielding his party colleague.
Addressing a press conference, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said the court's verdict had exposed what he described as the "appeasement politics" of the AAP and the Congress. He alleged that Kejriwal had provided political patronage to Tahir Hussain and accused the Congress leadership of creating an inflammatory atmosphere during the riots. Bhatia also criticised AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan for reportedly claiming that Tahir Hussain had been punished because of his religion, alleging that such statements sought to spread communal divisions. Referring to the post-mortem report, Bhatia said Ankit Sharma's body bore 51 stab wounds and described the verdict as justice for the slain officer, noting that five people had been convicted in the case.
The BJP spokesperson questioned why Kejriwal had not apologised and accused him of standing with the accused rather than the victim's family. He also criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for visiting a mosque in the riot-affected area after the violence instead of meeting Ankit Sharma's family, alleging that the visit reflected appeasement politics. (IANS)
Also Read: Gandhis’ absence from Wayanad sparks row: BJP calls it use and throw model