Santa Claus skit: AAP leaders booked for ‘hurting religious sentiments’

The Delhi police on Thursday registered an FIR against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Saurabh Bharadwaj, Sanjeev Jha, and Adil Ahmad Khan on charges of hurting religious sentiments with a Santa Claus skit staged to highlight air pollution, said an officer. The case was registered under Section 299 (insulting religion or beliefs by words, signs, visual representations, or electronic means), and 302 (3) (deliberate intent to wound religious feelings of any person) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The complainant, advocate Khushboo George, said the actions of the three leaders have “deeply hurt the religious sentiments” of the Christian community and “threaten communal harmony” in Delhi. “Individuals dressed as Santa Claus, a revered religious and cultural icon for Christians worldwide, are portrayed in a derogatory and mocking manner,” Ms. George wrote in her complaint. On December 17, the AAP leaders shared a satirical video on their official social media accounts, featuring Santa Claus fainting in Connaught Place due to air pollution. The complainant argued that the AAP leaders reduced religious icons to “mere props for their political messaging”. Responding to the allegations, Mr. Bharadwaj, in a post on X, said, “When Santa Clauses in Lajpat Nagar were threatened and chased away with abuses, then no BJP Christian worker’s religious sentiments were hurt. Those whose religious sentiments are hurt are the ones whose pictures are all over with BJP leaders.” Published - December 26, 2025 01:24 am IST

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