The police said the arrests were made under relevant provisions of the IT Act. (Representational Image) The police said the arrests were made under relevant provisions of the IT Act. (Representational Image)

THE Haryana Police has arrested at least two Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders in the state and detained a few party workers for questioning for allegedly circulating “fake news” on social media platforms on Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar during the recently concluded mayoral elections in the state.

On Saturday, AAP condemned the police action and party workers burnt Khattar’s effigies in several districts as a mark of protest.

Among the arrested are AAP’s social media in-charge of the state Harpal Kranti, who was held in Hansi, and Tarsem Chand, arrested from Sirsa.

Another person from Sirsa, Sanjeev Jakhar, who is allegedly associated with the Indian National Students Organisation (INSO) was also arrested.

The police said the arrests were made under relevant provisions of the IT Act.

During the municipal polls, some news reports quoted Khattar purportedly saying that BJP-backed candidates should be voted in since he belongs to the Punjabi community.

AAP’s Haryana unit president Naveen Jaihind called the arrests as part of “jungle rule” and accused the police of hounding innocent party workers and

leaders.

In a media statement issued on Saturday evening, the AAP claimed that the police picked up at least 70 party leaders and workers from various parts of the state.

Jaihind said, “Armed police personnel barged into homes of various AAP leaders and workers in middle of the night in Rohtak, Hisar, Sirsa, Hansi and various other places. AAP workers were picked up by police, accusing them of spreading fake information about the Haryana CM. In fact, during the polls the BJP had issued an advertisement saying that state has got a Punjabi Chief Minister for the first time. There were (also) media reports that quoted the

Chief Minister as saying that his party should be voted in since he is from the Punjabi community.”

Jaihind said that AAP workers only posted this advertisement by the BJP and media reports on social media. “We are not going to bow down before this jungle-rule”, he added.

Chief Minister Khattar’s media adviser Rajiv Jain denied AAP’s contentions on the media advertisements. He told The Indian Express: “The advertisement was not issued by the BJP. It was issued by one of the party’s candidates. Second, these people morphed the advertisement and started circulating it without specifying that it was an advertisement issued by a BJP candidate, and not by the party.”

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