After being booked for allegedly instigating anti-CAA protesters, former Congress MLA Mateen Ahmed on Friday alleged that the action was taken on directions of the Union Home Ministry to damage the party's image ahead of Assembly elections.
Speaking to here, Ahmed denied having instigating people during a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in North East Delhi's Seelampur area on December 17.
"Police know that I don't use the language of instigating nature... This has been done on the direction of the Home Ministry to cause damage to the Congress," he said.
The former legislator also said that the protesters wanted to hold a bike rally but were denied permission, forcing them to carry out a protest march without the police nod.
Elections are scheduled to take place early next year for Delhi Assembly, tenure of which ends in February 2020.
Ahmed was named in FIR for allegedly instigating the crowd that led to clashes between Delhi Police personnel and protesters in Seelampur.
The Delhi Police had arrested a total of 14 people after the protest in Seelampur area against the Citizenship Amendment turned violent on December 17. Subsequently, the court had sent them for 14-day judicial custody.
The protesters had allegedly pelted stones at policemen and vandalized three buses during the protests.
( With inputs from ANI )