AAP dubs BJP’s ‘rape accused’ charge as baseless, defamatory

New Delhi :Aam Aadmi Party today termed as baseless and false BJP MLA Vijender Gupta’s allegation that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Home Minister Satyendar Jain were trying to protect a rape accused, and threatened legal action against the legislator.

Calling the allegation totally “defamatory”, AAP said the BJP has been making wild allegations against the party leaders and that there was not an iota of truth in the charges levelled by Gupta.

“The allegations are totally baseless, false and defamatory. We may take legal action against Gupta,” a senior AAP leader said.

Earlier in the day, addressing a press conference, Gupta, who is the Opposition leader in Delhi Assembly, alleged that Aftab Siddiqui, who has been arrested on rape charges, had “close relations” with senior AAP leaders.

“He (Aftab) is not a party volunteer. We don’t have any volunteer with such name in Paschim Vihar area. The allegations levelled by Gupta are totally baseless,” AAP spokesperson Deepak Bajpai said.

According to police, 23-year-old Aftab has been arrested for the alleged rape of a married woman over a period of time in west Delhi’s Paschim Vihar area.

The accused allegedly filmed the incident and blackmailed her with the video preserved in his computer. He also threatened the victim several times on the basis of his claimed political connections, police said.

Aftab has however claimed that he had recently given his computer to a local shop for formatting, and the owner of the shop had allegedly copied the video and later distributed it. However, these claims are yet to be verified, police said.

Police is also verifying Aftab’s alleged connections with the political party.

PTI