AAP leader Javed Ahmed accused in Bajrang Dal activist's murder; denies charges

Chandigarh: Aam Aadmi Party leader Javed Ahmed on Sunday rubbished charges of his alleged involvement in the murder of Bajrang Dal activist Pradeep Sharma during the Nuh violence and claimed that he was "100 km away" at the time of the incident.

He also termed it "political propaganda" and an attempt to malign him as well as his party.

Anurag Dhanda, the vice-president of AAP's Haryana unit also rubbished the allegations against Ahmed, saying a "false FIR" has been registered against him.

In a video message, Dhanda said, "The entire country knows which party incites riots and makes people fight. First, they vitiate the atmosphere and then file false FIR against leaders of other parties.

"Javed Ahmed is a leader of our party. A false FIR has been registered against him on the Nuh issue," he said.

Ahmed claimed that he has CCTV footage of the toll plazas he crossed and "I have shown this to the police too".

"As far as the question goes where I was, I was 100 km away. The incident happened three hours after I left. I returned the next day on August 1," the AAP leader from Sohna in Gurugram district said.

"The allegations against me are to malign me and my party. It is a political propaganda," Ahmed said.

When pointed out that he has been named as an accused in the case, Ahmed said, "It is a very sad incident. Those who did it, be they of any party, should be given strict punishment... As far as Pradeep bhai is concerned, I am saddened... We want justice for him." Javed Ahmed has been named as accused after Bajrang Dal activist Pradeep Sharma was allegedly attacked in Sohna during the communal clashes that spread from Haryana's Nuh earlier his week, police said on Saturday but did not mention his political affiliation in the FIR.

Sharma died while undergoing treatment at Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital two days later on August 2.

Six people, including two home guards and a cleric, have died in the clashes that erupted in Nuh over an attempt to stop a Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) procession and spread to Gurugram last week.

The FIR was lodged based on a complaint by Pawan Kumar, a Bajrang Dal activist, who was accompanying Sharma in a car when the alleged attack occurred on July 31 in Sohna.

AAP's Haryana unit vice-president Dhanda said, "When the incident occurred, about which there is a mention in the FIR, Javed Ahmed was 100-150 km away and he has proof -- videos of his location and other evidence. All of these have been given to police." He said the AAP has no hesitation over any probe.

But it should also be investigated why on the day of the Nuh clashes, "the chief minister call more than 100 policemen for VIP duty in another district. Why was the leave of then Nuh SP (Varun Singla) sanctioned at that time", Dhanda said.

"The CID is saying they had given information about possible clashes 10 days earlier. CID reports to the chief minister. Haryana Home Minister (Anil Vij) is saying that CID did not give any report to him.

"Why did the chief minister hide the CID report? Why was a home guard jawan (among the six who died) sent from Fatehabad to Nuh... All these things need to be investigated," Dhanda said.