New Delhi, February 5: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday reprimanded Delhi Police official Rajesh Deo who had revealed the alleged link of Shaheen Bagh shooter Kapil Gujjar with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The Arvind Kejriwal-led party had filed a complaint with the polling body earlier today, alleging violation of Model Code of Conduct (MCC) as Deo has linked a political party to a matter currently being probed. "Investigation has not been completed, photos have not been investigated and a police officer is taking a party's name, at a time when the MCC is in place," the AAP had said.

Based on the complaint, the ECI conducted a preliminary probe into the matter and found Deo violating the norms. A letter was dispatched later in the day to Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik over the "undesirable public statements by Rajesh Deo, DCP Crime Branch". The letter further states that a "warning shall be issued to Rajesh Deo and it shall be ensured that he is not assigned any work related to Delhi assembly elections".

Update by ANI

Deo, the Deputy Commissioner of Police of Crime Branch, told reporters on Tuesday that Kapil - arrested for firing outside the site of anti-CAA protests at Shaheen Bagh - had joined the AAP last year. As per the preliminary probe, it was found that Kapil and his father Gaje Singh joined the party in early 2019, the DCP said.

"In our initial investigation we found some photos from Kapil's phone that establish and he has already disclosed that he and his father joined AAP a year ago. We have taken his two days remand," he was reported as saying.

Deo's remarks provided fresh fodder to the BJP to attack Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Senior party leader and Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said it "has been proved" that the AAP is instigating the youth to resort to violence.

AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh countered the BJP allegations, by sharing a spree of photos of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath sharing the dais with rape-accused former BJP minister Chinmayanand. He also shared photos of an alleged ISI agent and BJP worker, alongside former Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan and party general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya. "Does this prove that the BJP leaders are also rapists, kidnappers, murderers and ISI agents?" he asked.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 05, 2020 10:02 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).