The Delhi Police has registered an FIR against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Saurabh Bhardwaj, Sanjeev Jha, and Adil Ahmed Khan on charges of hurting religious sentiments through social media content. The case has been filed following a complaint accusing the leaders of sharing satirical videos that showed a political skit performed in public at Connaught Place, depicting Santa Claus wearing a mask, participating in a protest, and eventually losing consciousness due to poor air quality.
What did the complainant say?
According to the complaint, on December 17 and 18, 2025, the AAP leaders posted a video on their official social media accounts depicting a "political skit performed in public at Connaught Place. In these videos, individuals dressed as Santa Claus, a revered religious and cultural icon for Christians worldwide, are portrayed in a derogatory and mocking manner. The videos depict these religious icons "fainting" and "collapsing" on the street to be used as mere props for political messaging.
The video shows Santa Claus collapsing on the street and being used as a prop to convey a political message. Furthermore, the video mocks Santa Claus by showing a fake CPR being performed on him, thereby disrespecting Saint Nicholas and the sanctity of the Christmas festival.
The complaint further states that the video mocks Santa Claus by showing a fake CPR being performed on him, thereby disrespecting Saint Nicholas and the sanctity of the Christmas festival.
"The offenders have committed a deliberate and malicious act intended to outrage religious feelings, which falls squarely under Section 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). By using a religious icon as a mascot to create a "political ruckus" during the final days of Advent, there is a clear mens rea to insult the Christian faith," the complaint said.
According to Delhi Police, publicly ridiculing a religious symbol is a violation of Section 302 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Delhi Police has registered a case under the relevant sections, and the investigation is underway. "I request that an FIR be registered immediately against Saurabh Bhardwaj, Sanjeev Jha, and Adil Ahmad Khan under the aforementioned sections of the BNS. Given that Christmas celebrations are imminent, I urge you to direct the offenders to remove this offensive content immediately to prevent the escalation of communal tension and further injury to our religious sentiments," the complainant added.
Saurabh Bhardwaj on FIR
Responding to the FIR registered over the Santa Claus skit, Saurabh Bharadwaj said the move reflected the BJP’s growing discomfort with issues being raised on social media. In a post on X, he claimed the skit helped bring the issue of air pollution to the forefront, prompting wider public discussion on AQI levels and environmental concerns, including the Aravalli range.
Bharadwaj alleged that as these issues began to gain traction, central agencies such as the ED, CBI, and the Delhi Police were being used to intimidate political opponents. He also questioned the intent behind the complaint, alleging that BJP supporters were now claiming hurt religious sentiments while having remained silent during earlier instances involving Santa Claus in Delhi.
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