Shaheen Bagh activists join BJP, AAP alleges plot
NEW DELHI : A day after several activists who were part of Shaheen Bagh protest joined the BJP, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) alleged that the agitation was “scripted” by the saffron party for electoral gains in Delhi elections.
AAP’s allegation comes a day after several members of the minority Muslim community from Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh area, which was the epicenter of the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests, joined the BJP in the presence of party’s Delhi unit leaders.
The 24-hour sit-in that was mainly led by women in Shaheen Bagh area of south-east Delhi lasted for more than three months. The peaceful agitation that became a pan-India template for anti-CAA protests was called off in March in the wake of corona virus fears and subsequent lock down.
AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj alleged that the Shaheen Bagh protest was the centre of BJP’s campaign for the Delhi election, adding that it was the only party that benefited from the controversy surrounding the agitation.
“Delhi assembly election could have been fought on the issue of education, health, environment or other developmental narratives. But the Delhi BJP chose to fight the election on the issue of Shaheen Bagh,” he said at a press conference.
The national capital went to polls in the midst of the Shaheen Bagh protest in the city. The new citizenship law was one of the issues that were strongly raised by several top BJP leaders during the poll campaigning. The AAP leader also alleged that the protestors made each and every move at the behest of the BJP’s top leadership.
“The whole Shaheen Bagh protest was scripted by the BJP. The topmost leadership of the BJP scripted each and every step of these protests. They decided who will speak what, who will attack whom and then who will be doing the counterattack. All these things were preplanned and well-scripted,” Bharadwaj alleged, PTI reported.
Meanwhile, Bhardwaj’s allegations were countered by Manoj Tiwari, who was the chief of Delhi BJP when these protests happened, who said his party does not discriminate on the basis of religion, caste, creed or lineage.
AAP now claims that the BJP conspired with the Delhi Police and planned the demonstration at Shaheen Bagh to get political mileage ahead of the Delhi assembly elections.
“Now the confusion is getting cleared and Muslim brothers and sisters want to walk with the BJP…Stop dividing Arvind Kejriwal ji. The world’s largest party BJP represents all religions and does not discriminate on the basis of religion, caste, creed or lineage,” Tiwari said in a tweet in Hindi.
More than 50 people who became known for their protests against the citizenship law in Delhi, have joined the BJP, triggering the claims of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party that the protests were a BJP ruse for political gains.
Several members of the minority Muslim community from Shaheen Bagh area, that was the centre of the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests here, joined the BJP on August 16 in the presence of its Delhi unit leaders, said a party statement.
The induction ceremony took place in the presence of president of the BJP’s Delhi unit Adesh Gupta and national vice-president and incharge of Delhi unit Shyam Jaju, it said.
“The Delhi Police did not remove Shaheen Bagh protestors on the instructions of BJP,” Mr Bhardwaj told to a TV channel, asserting that the Delhi Police was hand-in-glove with the BJP.
The 24-hour, 101-day protest at northwest Delhi became the template for anti-CAA protests across the country and fizzled out after the panic over corona virus.
The list of people who joined the BJP on Sunday, includes social worker Shahzad Ali, gynecologist Dr Mehreen and former AAP worker Tabassum Hussain, who were among the well-known faces at Shaheen Bagh.“Social worker Shahzad Ali, gynecologist Dr Mehreen, former AAP worker Tabassum Hussain along with a large number of Muslim brothers and sisters joined the Bharatiya Janata Party,” said the Delhi BJP statement.
Ali, former Delhi unit secretary of Rashtriya Ulema Council, told PTI, “A narrative has been set by many parties in the past seven decades that BJP is the enemy of Muslims.
I think you will have to go to BJP to find out if its your enemy or friend. We received a warm welcome from party leaders today and look up to work with them like any other party worker.”
(With Agency Inputs).
