Mumbai: BJP leader Kirit Somaiya offers to surrender on Aslam Sheikh issue

BJP leader Kirit Somaiya on Saturday reached the Kandivali Police station here to court his arrest following a complaint registered against him by the Congress for calling State Minister Aslam Sheikh anti-national.

The police refused to arrest Somaiya as the complaint registered with the police was not in the form of a First Information Report (FIR).

"Today January 4 at 1.30 pm, I will voluntarily present/surrender myself to Kandivali West Police station (near Shatabdi Hospital) on Congress leaders demand/complaint for action against me on Aslam Sheikh issue," he tweeted earlier in the day.

Earlier, Somaiya had tweeted on December 30, 2019 about Aslam having signed a clemency plea for Yaqoob Memon, a Mumbai blasts convict on death row in 2015 before he was hanged.

"Aslam Sheikh, now Minister in Thackeray Sarkar. Shiv Sena has called him 'Deshdrohi' in 2015 for asking mercy for Yaqoob Memon," Somaiya had tweeted.

The BJP leader had taunted the Shiv Sena and asked whether 'Deshdrohi' (anti-national) had become 'Deshbhakt' (patriot) after coming in alliance with them.

After Somaiya's tweet, the Congress workers had filed a complaint in Kandivali police station.