The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has exposed BJP Minister Kapil Mishra for spreading falsehoods to incite communal unrest. On July 12, Kapil Mishra posted on ‘X’ alleging that miscreants had scattered glass along the Kanwar Yatra route. AAP Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj revealed that Delhi Police later clarified the incident was the result of an e-rickshaw accident on July 10 — not an act of sabotage. He criticised the Lieutenant Governor (LG) for amplifying the same misinformation the following day and demanded that FIRs be filed against both for attempting to stoke communal tensions in Delhi through a fabricated narrative.
Addressing a press conference, AAP Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj, along with senior leader Chaudhary Mateen Ahmed and MLA Sanjeev Jha, highlighted the decades-long tradition of communal harmony during the Kanwar Yatra. He stated, “For the last 30 years, we have seen lakhs of Kanwariyas bring Ganga water back to their villages and colonies to offer it to Lord Shiva. Never have we heard of Hindu-Muslim clashes during the Kanwar Yatra. Several areas of East Delhi, which are Muslim-majority, lie along the route — yet not once has there been any communal tension related to the Yatra.”
Recalling the shift in Delhi’s political leadership, Saurabh Bharadwaj added, “After 27 years, BJP has returned to power in Delhi. This is the first Kanwar Yatra under their government. On the night of July 12 at around 9:30 PM, Delhi’s Law Minister Kapil Mishra posted on ‘X’ that miscreants had scattered glass shards for about one kilometre along the Kanwar Yatra route in Shahdara. He said PWD and municipal workers were clearing the road, local MLA Sanjay Goyal was present, and CM Rekha Gupta had taken note of the matter. An FIR would be filed, and the Yatra would not be allowed to face disruption.”
“The next day, July 13 at 4:04 PM, the Lieutenant Governor tweeted a video saying that barefoot Kanwariyas had encountered glass shards on the route and directed police and PWD to act. The road was cleared in two hours, an FIR was registered, and the Crime Branch was investigating,” he further added.
Calling out misinformation and political intent, Saurabh Bharadwaj said, “From the tweets of Minister Kapil Mishra and the LG, it appeared the incident had just occurred and that cleanup was ongoing. But Delhi Police clarified that this didn’t happen on July 12—it happened on July 10. An e-rickshaw carrying 19 windshield glasses was hit by another vehicle near Chintamani Chowk to Jhilmil Metro, causing the glass to shatter on the road. A person named Montu filmed the video and sent it to someone named Piyush from Nand Nagri.”
He continued, “That July 10 video was used on July 12 to falsely create communal tension. These glasses break into small, blunt pieces designed not to injure in accidents. If it had been serious, hundreds of vehicles on the highway would’ve gotten punctured and traffic jams would’ve followed. But none of that happened. This entire story was fabricated by Delhi’s Law Minister to incite communal unrest.”
Demanding accountability, the AAP Delhi State President asserted, “Even if we assume the LG wasn’t fully informed, by 6:30 PM on July 13, Delhi Police had briefed the media that the incident occurred on July 10 and the road had been cleared by the morning of July 12. Then why didn’t Kapil Mishra or the LG issue a clarification tweet admitting the mistake and clarifying there was no communal motive?”
“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 LG 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,” he added.
Referring to Kapil Mishra’s controversial past, Saurabh Bharadwaj further added, “This is the same Kapil Mishra who incited the 2020 Delhi riots with his inflammatory speeches. When Justice S. Muralidhar of the Delhi High Court ordered an FIR against him, the government had him transferred that very night. That’s his background. The LG holds a constitutional position. Had his intentions been honest, he would’ve posted a follow-up tweet within two hours clarifying it was a minor accident. But neither he nor Kapil Mishra did so. That silence exposes their intent.”
Recalling a long-standing tradition of communal harmony, former MLA and prominent Muslim leader Chaudhary Mateen Ahmed shared, “I was first elected in 1993. I remember Kanwariyas chanting ‘Har Har Mahadev’ loudly when passing through Muslim areas. In 1994, we began setting up camps. Even today, our volunteers patrol Road No. 66 from Yamuna Vihar to Seelampur. Since then, not a single incident has occurred. We serve Kanwariyas daily.”
“Five camps run in my name, and four more have been set up by the AAP government. We’ve always shared a strong brotherhood with our Hindu brothers. As for the BJP, their only agenda is to create Hindu-Muslim division. The camp at Kondli Pul was also set up at our request. Across Delhi, 20 such camps were established on our appeal. We see no difference between Hindus and Muslims. 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,” he concluded.
