Tahir Hussain being projected as perpetrator of violence to shield culprits: Amanatulllah Khan

AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan on Sunday said that suspended AAP Councillor Tahir Hussain is being projected as the main perpetrator of Delhi violence and a conspiracy is being hatched to shield the real culprits.

"Call records show that Tahir Hussain had called the police to rescue him from the violence-hit area on February 24 and he was rescued. Now, he is being projected as the main perpetrator of the violence and a conspiracy is being hatched to shield the culprits," Khan told ANI here.

"Tahir was not causing riots. He was standing on the roof of his house in the footage available. There is no footage which shows that he beat up or killed any person," he added.

He further said that the entire blame for the communal violence case is being heaped on the Muslims.

"The blame for the violence is being heaped on the Muslims. This is being done to save the actual rioters. Whoever died were human beings. But most people amongst them were Muslims. I want to ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah that whether being a Muslim in this country is the biggest crime?" he questioned.

A Delhi court on March 6 sent Hussain to 7-day police custody in connection with the case. The Karkardooma district court had earlier rejected his anticipatory bail plea, observing that nobody had appeared from the accused's side.

The expelled Councillor is an accused in the FIR lodged over the killing of IB officer Ankit Sharma whose body was recovered from a drain in Chand Bagh on February 26 during the violence in northeast Delhi.

The deceased's father, Ravinder Kumar, on whose complaint the FIR was lodged, has named the AAP leader as an accused.

He has alleged that Hussain, whose office is located near Chand Bagh Pulia, had gathered men who were pelting stones and petrol bombs during the violence which led to tension and fear among the residents.

At least 53 people have died and more than 200 people sustained serious injuries in the violence that raged for four days in north-east Delhi last week.