Delhi Law Minister Kapil Mishra on Tuesday criticised senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders for not commenting on the conviction of former councillor Tahir Hussain in the murder case of Intelligence Bureau officer Ankit Sharma during the 2020 northeast Delhi riots.
Speaking at a press conference, Mishra questioned the silence of the party's top leadership following the court's verdict.
"Why are Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh silent after the conviction? Why have they not come forward and said anything on the matter?" Mishra said.
His remarks came a day after the AAP issued a statement asserting that Hussain has had no connection with the party since 2020, when he was suspended from its primary membership after an FIR was registered against him in relation to the northeast Delhi riots.
Mishra also asked why the then Delhi government and AAP leaders did not publicly condemn Sharma's killing during the violence or visit the bereaved families.
On Monday, a Delhi court convicted former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain and four others for the murder of IB officer Ankit Sharma during the February 2020 communal riots in northeast Delhi.
Referring to the verdict, Mishra said the court had established Hussain's involvement in Sharma's murder and argued that the conviction raised questions for those who had previously supported or defended him.
He further accused AAP leaders of failing to express concern for the victims during the riots and questioned their conduct at the time.
"AAP leaders were providing relief camps in other community areas at the time of the riot, and now they are presenting themselves as followers of Sanatan traditions," he added.
Mishra also alleged that the violence in northeast Delhi was part of a wider conspiracy. While noting that the court had delivered its judgment in Sharma's murder case, he said other aspects connected to the riots would continue to be addressed through the legal process.
Ankit Sharma, who was serving with the Intelligence Bureau, had returned home from work on February 25, 2020, before stepping out again. After he failed to return, his family began searching for him and later discovered that he had been killed.
His body was subsequently recovered from the Khajuri Khas drain near a mosque in the Chand Bagh pulia area.
The killing took place during the communal violence that erupted in northeast Delhi in February 2020 amid protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.
The riots left 53 people dead and injured several others.
