AAP, BJP Take To Streets Over Kejriwal's Arrest. Water Canon Used, Delhi BJP Chief Detained: Top Points
The AAP gave a call to 'gherao' prime minister's residence against the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal by ED in the liquor policy case while the BJP demanded resignation from the Delhi CM.
The Aam Aadmi Party on Tuesday took to the streets in Delhi to protest against the arrest of its supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a money laundering case linked to the excise policy case. Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 and will be in the custody of the central agency till Tuesday. During the protest, scores of AAP members were detained by the police as they gathered at the Patel Chowk metro station for the protest.
The Bharatiya Janata Party also staged a march from Feroz Shah Kotla stadium to Delhi Secretariat demanding Kejriwal's resignation as Delhi CM after his arrest. Kejriwal is the first incumbent chief minister to be arrested.
- AAP workers and leaders, raising the slogans of "Inquilab Zindabad" and "Kejriwal Zindabad", reached the metro station in groups as the party called for a 'gherao' of the prime minister's residence on Lok Kalyan Marg.
- Senior AAP leader Somnath Bharti said in a post on X that he was detained along with Delhi Assembly Deputy Speaker and AAP's Mangolpuri MLA Rakhi Birla.
- Harjot Singh Bains, a minister in the AAP government of Punjab was also detained along with senior party member Reena Gupta.
- In view of the protest, entry and exit gates at Lok Kalyan metro station were closed. Entry and exit were also restricted at the Patel Chowk and the Central Secretariat metro stations.
#WATCH | Delhi: Delhi police make announcements outside the Patel Chowk Metro station for the AAP protestors. The police said that section 144 had been imposed, there is no permission for protests, and that the area should be cleared within 5 minutes.
— ANI (@ANI) March 26, 2024
Security had been heightened… pic.twitter.com/aN7lOqaxn5
- Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC were imposed in the area. "There is no permission to hold a protest. We also got information that protesters will gather at the Patel Chowk metro station. In view of that, we stepped up security arrangements," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Devesh Kumar.
- A simultaneous protest was held by BJP also demanding resignation from the Delhi CM as they sought to march towards Delhi Secretariat from Feroz Shah Kotla stadium.
#WATCH | Delhi: Police use water cannons at the BJP workers during their protest march towards the Secretariat demanding the resignation of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal who is in ED custody in the Liquor Excise Policy case. pic.twitter.com/PSwyXocBDZ
— ANI (@ANI) March 26, 2024
- Commotion ensued in the BJP protest as well after Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva along with other party members were detained by the police which also resorted to using water canons to disperse the protestors.
- BJP candidate from New Delhi Lok Sabha seat, Bansuri Swaraj said, "Running the government from the jail is unfavourable to the people of Delhi... I want to ask Arvind Kejriwal why is his soul asleep. You should resign based on ethics."
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