BJP accuses Himachal AAP leader of tweeting pro-Khalistan posts, says it has screenshots

PTI

Shimla, May 1

The Himachal Pradesh BJP on Sunday accused an AAP leader in the state of openly supporting ‘Khalistan’, alleging that he had put out a series of tweets in its support some years ago.

The Aam Aadmi Party’s social media head in the hill state Harpreet Singh Bedi had in 2012 and 2020 posted a series of anti-India and pro-Khalistan tweets, demanded new currency for the separatist group, and posted a dollar that depicted the ‘Republic of Khalistan’ with a photo of the group’s leader, BJP state general secretary Trilok Jamwal told the media here.

Referring to another alleged tweet by Bedi, Jamwal said he had mentioned that Sikhs could demand Khalistan as per the Constitution.

Bedi’s tweets clearly indicated that the AAP’s national convener Arvind Kejriwal was associated with Khalistanis and that the separatist group had been funding his party, the BJP leader alleged.

Jamwal claimed that after he raised the issue, Bedi had deleted his Twitter account but said he had screenshots of those tweets.

“It seems that the AAP is working like a terrorist outfit and it wants to spread anarchy in the state,” he said.

“We would like to ask the AAP leaders. Does Kejriwal want to make Devbhoomi Himachal a stronghold of Khalistanis?... Why is Kejriwal so sympathetic towards them? Why are Khalistani supporters being promoted in the Aam Aadmi Party? Does Kejriwal want to get Himachal captured by the Khalistanis?” he said.

When contacted, the state’s AAP spokesperson Gaurav Sharma told PTI that the party had nothing to do with the controversial tweets. He said the matter will be probed to ascertain the veracity of those tweets.

Sharma said the tweets may have also been fabricated, alleging that “the BJP is known for such acts”.

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