Imran Hussain | Photo Credit: ANI

New Delhi: A political blame game has erupted between the BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over the presence of an AAP MLA amidst mob that was allegedly involved in vandalising a temple in Hauz Qazi area of Delhi on June 30. Video footage accessed by Times Now channel shows AAP minister Imran Hussain standing with the crowd which allegedly vandalised the temple following a parking scuffle on Sunday night.

"Kejriwal's minister Imran Hussain himself came to break the Hindu temple that night. This is the reason for Kejriwal's criminal silence. Imran Hussain, who broke the temple, must be arrested immediately," BJP MLA Kapil Mishra said in a tweet along with the Times Now video.

Shortly later, Police confirmed the Times Now video footage saying that the 'video was shot an hour before Temple desecration'.

Hussain admitted that he was present at the spot but added that neither Hindus, not Muslims want riots in the area. "Muslim and Hindu brothers sat down together that night at the police station and hugged, I was also present there. Neither Hindus nor Muslims want riots here," he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

So far, four persons including a minor have been arrested in the case. Mohammed Anas and Mohammed Zubair are two of the accused arrested in the incident. Anas had previous involvement in two cases of snatching and under Arms Act, police said and ANI reported.

According to reports, it all started after Mohammed, 20, parked his scooter in front of a building on Sunday night. Sanjeev Gupta, a resident of the building raised an objection and asked him to instead park the scooter elsewhere. According to a reported version of Gupta's wife, the two men returned with a mob and beat her husband up. While the men were taken to the police station, the mob vandalised the temple in Durga Mandir street.

According to another version reported by news agency PTI, Gupta, along with local residents beat Mohammed up over the parking issue. The police took both, Gupta, as well as Mohammed to the police station. In the meanwhile, a mob gathered outside the temple and vandalised it. The priest of the temple reportedly said that an unknown mob vandalised the temple at midnight.

The police have registered three different cases- one based on Gupta's statement, another one based on Mohammed's account and the third one against the unknown mob that vandalised the temple. Police have ramped up security in the area. The incident assumes importance as Delhi goes to polls next year.