NEW DELHI: An FIR was registered on Thursday against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) functionaries Saurabh Bharadwaj, Sanjeev Jha and Adil Ahmad Khan for allegedly outraging the religious feelings of Christians.
The FIR was filed on the complaint of a lawyer after the party posted a video on its official social media accounts on Dec 17 and 18, featuring a skit performed at Connaught Place. According to the complainant, the skit depicts Santa Claus in a humorous and derogatory manner.
The controversy stems from the scenes in which a person dressed as Santa is shown collapsing on the street and is used as a "prop" to seemingly deliver a political message. The complainant alleged that the AAP functionaries mocked Santa by showing CPR being performed on him — "a direct insult" to the sanctity of St Nicholas and Christmas.
BJP called it an "indecent and objectionable act" and "a mockery of religious faith".
Denying the allegations, Bharadwaj said the skit helped take the issue of Delhi's air pollution to the masses, thus putting both the city and Union govts under pressure.
The complainant further alleged that the actions were deliberate and malicious as they coincided with the final days of Advent. A case was registered under Sections 299, 302, and 3(5) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) that pertain to deliberate acts intended to outrage religious feelings, with common intention.
The FIR states that the collective actions of Bharadwaj, a former minister; Jha, the Burari MLA; and Khan, a national executive member of AAP, also threaten communal harmony in the city.
The complainant furnished AAP's Instagram handle and a Facebook link to the video as primary evidences.
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said, "Such conduct is not befitting of any socially responsible individual. Those who work as public representatives in the political arena have an obligation to maintain their seriousness and dignity."
AAP alleged that the FIR was part of a broader pattern of BJP intimidating opposition functionaries using Enforcement Directorate (ED), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and now Delhi Police. "Their propaganda is being exposed, so they are scared. We need to expose them more and scare them further. BJP workers are now donning the mask of Christians," Bharadwaj, AAP Delhi unit president, said.
The party also claimed that BJP's objections over issues like this have been selective. "Caps of individuals dressed as Santa were recently yanked off in Lajpat Nagar and they were threatened, abused and chased away. However, the religious sentiment of no Christian worker of BJP was hurt in that case," said Bharadwaj.
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Devanshi Mehta is a crime correspondent uncovering Delhi’s unseen...
Read MoreDevanshi Mehta is a crime correspondent uncovering Delhi’s unseen crisis—addiction, systemic violence, and the quiet suffering of women, children, and marginalised communities. Her reporting brings nuance to the headlines, focusing on those forgotten by the system. Through deeply reported stories, she explores the human cost of crime, neglect, and broken justice.
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