Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga (file photo) The Punjab Police has booked BJP leader Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga, who has been targeting Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal over his comments on ‘The Kashmir Files, on charges of making provocative statement, promoting religious enmity, and criminal intimidation.The FIR against Bagga and some unidentified others was registered at the Cyber Crime Police Station in Mohali after a complaint by AAP Punjab spokesperson and Lok Sabha in-charge, Dr Sunny Singh Ahluwalia.
On March 30, Bagga, who was part of a protest by members of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), BJP’s youth wing, outside Kejriwal’s official residence in Delhi, had allegedly told TV channels that BJYM workers “would not let him (Kejirwal) live”.
According to the FIR, a copy of which has been accessed by The Indian Express, Ahluwalia said Bagga’s comments were “… criminal intimidation… to cause violence… imminent hurt to Arvind Kejriwal and other AAP leaders in a pre-designed, well planned, orchestrated manner…”.Bagga and other have been booked under: Sections 153-A (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony); 505 (Statements conducing to public mischief); 505 (2) (Statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill will between classes); and 506 (Punishment for criminal intimidation) of the IPC.
On Saturday, Bagga claimed that Punjab Police had reached his Delhi home to arrest him although he was not aware of any FIR against him. “I am in Lucknow, without any information @PunjabPoliceInd reached my home. May I know the reason ? CC @ DCPWestDelhi”,” he tweeted.
A Delhi police officer later told The Indian Express that Delhi Police wasn’t aware either of a team from Punjab reaching Bagga’s residence. Senior Punjab Police officers could not be reached for comments despite repeated attempts.
Bagga, who is the Delhi BJP spokesperson, is the second saffron party leader to be booked by the Punjab Police ever since AAP leader Bhagwant Mann was sworn in as the state CM around two weeks ago.On March 17, a day after Mann’s oath-taking at Khatkar Kalan, the native village of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh, the police booked an “unknown” user of a Twitter handle that had alleged the Chief Minister’s Office had removed a portrait of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.The Twitter handle belonged to BJP activist from Maharashtra, Priti Gandhi.In the FIR, a copy of which has been accessed by The Indian Express, AAP’s Mohali district general secretary Prabhjot Kaur said the tweet was made “in order to damage the public peace and tranquility” and the allegation of removing Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s portrait was false.
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