Toolkit case: ‘Opinions are not bullets’, says Mumbai-based AAP Prabhari

Preeti Sharma Menon has tweeted that Nikita Jacob is not from AAP. File pic

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) which has condemned police action against activist Disha Ravi in the Greta Thunberg toolkit matter, is being dragged further into the controversy with the spotlight on Mumbai activist and Bombay High Court advocate Nikita Jacob - allegedly from AAP - who has, according to reports, sought protection from arrest. Here, Mumbai-based AAP National Executive member and Mumbai Prabhari Preeti Sharma Menon slams speculation and talks about ‘fiction' and friction. An interview:

You have only now clarified by tweeting strongly that Nikita Jacob is not from AAP, though reports through early February have highlighted her AAP association. Why not deny it earlier?
I have never heard of a person called Nikita Jacob. As far as I am concerned, she does not exist. There is no such person in Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) either in Mumbai or in India. Whenever any media person has asked me who is Nikita Jacob, I have asked them right back, who is Nikita Jacob? This is because I have never heard of this person ever in my life until the media started asking me about it in these past few weeks. There is no such person in Aam Aadmi Party Mumbai at all, that is point no 1. The other point is that I have also inquired with lawyers in the Bombay High Court whether they have heard about Nikita Jacob. Even they have not heard of such a person. So, for me, the person is a figment of somebody's imagination. I do not know if there is such a person. I have repeatedly told that to the media, and if that is not being carried forward what can I do?

What is the crux then for the AAP here?
People are being accused of creating content against the government, a policy of the government, a law made by the government … tell me how is that wrong? Aren't people in a free society always free to have another opinion? If somebody has an opinion and chooses to spread that opinion, that is their wish, people are entitled to have an opinion against the government. They are entitled to canvas for it, they are entitled to lobby for it. In countries like the USA lobbying groups are official. People officially lobby against something they do not believe in or for something they believe in. How is that not allowed in a democracy? Whoever does it, whether a citizen, activist or media person, we are allowed to have opinions. Why are we now persecuting people with opinions? Are these opinions, bullets?

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal has condemned the Delhi police action against Disha Ravi. The CM is going against his own police...
The Delhi police is always at odds with the Delhi government. Please note that the Delhi police reports only to the Home Ministry via the LG. They report to Amit Shah, they report to the Narendra Modi government. They do not report to us. The arrest of any activist or any person who has an opinion which is different from this government is something that everyone should protest against because it is a direct attack on our freedom of speech and on our democracy.

Accusations have been flying through the years that AAP has been funded by pro-Khalistan groups...
The AAP shows the highest propriety in fund raising. We used to display all our funds, all the donations that we got, until this government started harassing the people who were donating to us. Even today, we submit a list of our donors to the Income Tax and to the Election Commission. We follow all the rules. Any stories made about us, should at least come with some amount of proof. If this government has any proof against AAP for mismanagement of funds, they can arrest us, no? As it is, they keep arresting us, they keep filing cases against us… they do CBI raids, ED raids… they have harassed us in every way. They have not found one shred of evidence in these ridiculous allegations that the right wing keeps making on us. Until and unless they have some tangible thing, this whole thing by the media should stop. Despite so many notices, this government has found nothing amiss about our funds. So, the certificate on our clean funding comes from the Modi government itself.