Court acquits AAP leader Naresh Yadav in Quran desecration case

Chandigarh/Sangrur: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and MLA from Delhi Naresh Yadav got a big relief as a local court in Sangrur acquitted him in the 2016 Malerkotla Quran desecration case on Tuesday.

The court acquitted Naresh Yadav as no evidence could be produced against him in the case. After the court verdict, senior leader of the party and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Punjab Assembly, Harpal Singh Cheema and Delhi MLA Naresh Yadav addressed the media during a press conference convened at the party headquarters here.

Harpal Singh Cheema said the Akali-BJP government implicated Naresh Yadav under a conspiracy. He said at the time of the 2017 assembly elections, the Aam Aadmi Party had a wave across Punjab.

“People of Punjab were opposing Akali-BJP and the people were supporting the Aam Aadmi Party. That is why the Akali government, with the intention of maligning the AAP, filed a false case of desecration on the AAP leader and tried to tarnish the party’s image,” he said. Cheema further said the Akali-BJP implicated Naresh Yadav in the case through the convicted persons Vijay Kumar and Gaurav Kumar under a conspiracy and registered a false case. He said Captain Amarinder Singh had constituted a commission headed by Justice Ranjit Singh (retd) to investigate the Quran desecration and the commission’s report also said the Delhi MLA Naresh Yadav had nothing to do with the case and was completely innocent in this case.

AAP leader Naresh Yadav told the media that truth has won today. Yadav said he was framed under a conspiracy and was falsely prosecuted. “Vijay Kumar, whom I didn’t even know, was asked to implicate me under the conspiracy. But they could not present any evidence against me in the court. I thank the Honourable Court for declaring me innocent and acquitting me. We have full faith in the court,” he added. Yadav said the AAP leaders respect all religions and also people of all religions. He said the AAP does not hurt anyone’s religious feelings and does politics of development.

“It is not our job to provoke people in the name of religion. This is the main job of the Akali-BJP. To spoil the atmosphere of the society, the BJP-Akali government tried to give religious colour to the elections,” he added. The AAP leaders said just before the elections, there were bomb blasts in Maur Mandi, in which many people lost their lives. They said Sri Guru Granth Sahib was disrespected and the sentiments of the people were aroused; but unfortunately, even the Captain government could not take action against the culprits in any case so far. “In the name of investigation, Captain government is dilly-dallying the matter and is secretly trying to hush up the whole case,” they added. (UNI)