BJP leader Kapil Mishra has been accused of making comments that incited the violence in Delhi (File)
Aam Aadmi Party leader Saurabh Bhardwaj and the BJP's Kapil Mishra engaged in a war of words on Twitter on Thursday afternoon over the violence that scarred parts of northeast Delhi last week.
The spat began after Mr Bhardwaj demanded that Kapil Mishra, whose incendiary pro-citizenship law speeches allegedly incited and spread that violence, take a chemical test to ascertain if he was lying in response to the accusations.
In the first of a series of tweets Mr Bhardwaj referred to suspended party colleague Tahir Hussain, who is accused in the murder of an IB employee during the Delhi violence, and demanded that both Mr Hussain and Kapil Mishra take lie-detector tests.
Kapil Mishra shot back by saying that he was ready to take any test providing Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and AAP leaders Sanjay Singh and Amanatullah Khan took it too.
"The truth of the Delhi riots... and more will be revealed," Kapil Mishra posted in Hindi.
Saurabh Bhardwaj responded by accusing Kapil Mishra of making excuses.
"Kapil Mishra and Tahir Hussain are accused of inciting a riot. They both should get tested. By saying bring this person, bring that person he (Kapil Mishra) is making excuses," the AAP leader replied, adding, "Leave Tahir (Hussain), I will take the test with you".
After his alleged involvement in Intelligence Bureau employee Ankit Sharma's death became public, Tahir Hussain released a video to claim his innocence.
"The news about me is false. Since Kapil Mishra's hate speech, the situation in Delhi has deteriorated, with stone throwing and violence taking place. The same happened here (at his residence) the day before yesterday," Mr Hussain said in a video posted on Twitter.
Delhi violence: Hundreds have been arrested or detained by Delhi Police over the clashes
Kapil Mishra is a former AAP MLA who was elected from Karawal Nagar in 2015 polls before being suspended from the party after accusing Arvind Kejriwal of corruption. Saurabh Bhardwaj is the three-time sitting MLA from Delhi's Greater Kailash constituency.
Over 50 people were killed and hundreds injured in the horrific violence that swept across the national capital starting February 23. The violence began shortly after a speech by Kapil Mishra in the Maujpur neighbourhood, one of the worst-affected in the violence.
In his speech Kapil Mishra, who has a history of making incendiary remarks, gave Delhi Police a three-day ultimatum to clear anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protesters from streets or face consequences.
Kapil Mishra, who received a temporary campaigning ban during Delhi elections last month for referring to anti-CAA protest spots in Delhi as "mini-Pakistans", last week claimed he "had not done anything wrong" by supporting the controversial law.