AAP's Ashish Khetan booked for hurting sentiments after likening poll manifesto to holy book
Sikh groups also criticised the move to have an image of the Golden Temple on the cover of the document alongside a broom, the party's symbol.
Aam Aadmi Party leader Ashish Khetan was booked by the Amritsar Police on Wednesday for hurting religious sentiments in Punjab, after he compared the party’s youth manifesto to the Sikh holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib. AAP had released the youth manifesto as part of their campaign for the 2017 Assembly elections in the state. Khetan was with party chief Arvind Kejriwal at the event to launch the manifesto, which was also compared to Hindu holy book, the Bhagvad Gita.
Khetan and Kejriwal faced further criticism after people realised the manifesto had a picture of the Golden Temple, a holy site for Sikhs, on its cover alongside a broom, AAP’s party symbol. Khetan later apologised, saying he meant no disrespect. However, the All India Sikh Students dismissed his apology and filed a police complaint. The state’s deputy chief minister decried the developments as blasphemous.