AAP accuses Kapil Mishra of spreading fake news to incite communal tension

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders allegedly accused BJP Minister Kapil Mishra and Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor of spreading false information to provoke communal unrest during the ongoing Kanwar Yatra.

At a press conference on Monday, AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj, joined by senior leader Chaudhary Mateen Ahmed and MLA Sanjeev Jha, condemned a July 12 post by Kapil Mishra on social media platform ‘X’ that claimed miscreants had deliberately scattered glass shards along the Kanwar Yatra route in Shahdara.

“The Delhi Police has now clarified that the glass on the road was the result of an e-rickshaw accident on July 10 and not sabotage,” Bharadwaj said, accusing Mishra of “deliberately distorting facts” to incite tension. He further criticised the Lieutenant Governor for amplifying the claim a day later, despite police confirmation that the incident was accidental.

“The L-G tweeted a video saying that barefoot Kanwariyas had encountered glass shards on the route and directed the police and the PWD to act. The road was cleared in two hours and an FIR was registered,” Bharadwaj added.

According to AAP, the video shared by both Mishra and the L-G was from July 10, when an e-rickshaw carrying windshield glass broke down near Chintamani Chowk. The glass, which breaks into blunt pieces, posed no real danger, AAP stated.

“It was a simple e-rickshaw accident, where glass got spread across the road through moving vehicles. Yet, it was projected as a deliberate act of sabotage against Kanwariyas. What is the BJP trying to achieve in Delhi? Shouldn’t FIRs be filed against Kapil Mishra and the L-G for fueling communal tension? Their tweets on July 12 and 13 triggered nationwide outrage and tension in the area. It’s a matter of shame,” Bharadwaj said.

Former MLA Mateen Ahmed highlighted the long-standing tradition of communal harmony during the Kanwar Yatra, especially in Muslim-majority areas. “We’ve always welcomed Kanwariyas with respect. We see no difference between Hindus and Muslims,” he said, “Why would someone deliberately scatter glass? We’re the ones cleaning roads and laying carpets for Kanwariyas. We don’t believe this was intentional—maybe just an accident. But giving it a communal twist is absolutely wrong.”