A Delhi court on Tuesday, 14 July convicted former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain and four others for the murder of Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer Ankit Sharma during the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, triggering sharp political reactions from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which demanded a public apology from the AAP to the people of Delhi.

The Verdict

The Karkardooma Court found Hussain — who was suspended by the AAP after his name surfaced in the case — guilty on multiple charges including promoting enmity, rioting, assault, use of criminal force, and murder. Four other accused, Javed, Anas, Nazim, and Kasim, were also convicted in connection with the case. The court, however, acquitted six other accused persons, holding that the prosecution had failed to establish their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

BJP's Reaction: 'AAP Must Apologise'

BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal said the verdict exposed the AAP's alleged complicity in the violence. 'This clearly shows that the riots were pre-planned and were supported by the Aam Aadmi Party. The party did not take any action against its MLA. Now that the truth has come to light, the Aam Aadmi Party should apologise to the people of Delhi. Those found guilty should receive the punishment prescribed under the law,' Khandelwal said.

BJP National Spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia extended the attack to both the AAP and the Indian National Congress (INC), questioning remarks made by Congress leader Imran Masood, who had reportedly claimed that Hussain was being targeted because of his religion. 'Imran Masood also made a statement that Tahir Hussain is being targeted just because he is a Muslim. Was this statement made at the direction of Rahul Gandhi? Did Rahul Gandhi hold Imran Masood's ear and tell him to apologise?..' Bhatia said.

Bhatia also questioned Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, accusing both of siding with the accused rather than the victim's family. 'The big question that both Arvind Kejriwal and Sonia Gandhi should answer is this: when the law does its work, the police does its work, and our IB officer does his work, why is it that Sonia Gandhi and Arvind Kejriwal engage in dirty and low-level politics? They do politics on dead bodies like vultures and do not stand with the victim's family. Instead, they stand with the accused, because they see the accused's religion as their vote bank…' he said.

Samajwadi Party Urges Restraint

Samajwadi Party spokesperson Ashutosh Verma called for the verdict to be respected while noting that legal avenues remained open to the convicted. 'I believe the court's verdict should be respected. However, they still have the opportunity to pursue legal remedies. The Constitution allows them to approach a higher court and fight their case. Until the judicial process is fully concluded and a final verdict is delivered, it would not be appropriate to comment further on the matter,' Verma said.

Background: The 2020 Northeast Delhi Riots

The 2020 northeast Delhi riots broke out in February 2020 amid protests over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), leaving more than 50 people dead and hundreds injured. IB officer Ankit Sharma was among those killed, and his family had alleged that Hussain's residence was the site from which the attack was orchestrated. Hussain was subsequently suspended by the AAP and later joined another political formation. The case has remained one of the most politically charged trials to emerge from the riots. With sentencing yet to be pronounced, the legal process in the case is ongoing.