As the impasse between the Delhi Government and Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal continued for seventh day, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers took their protest to the streets and attempted to “gherao” Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence.
The protest march that began at Mandi House on Sunday evening in which more than 5,000 AAP workers participated, was stopped by the Delhi police on Parliament Street that had been turned into a fortress with multiple layers of police personnel and two water cannons on standby.
After a short demonstration and a few speeches from AAP leaders who promised that they would continue to take to the streets in protest until their demand, full statehood for Delhi, was met, the protesters dispersed peacefully. The Delhi police had said that no permission had been sought to hold the protest march.
Continuation of policies
AAP Rajya Sabha Member Sanjay Singh said the people of Delhi were out on the streets to demand the continuation of various policies of the Delhi Government that the Prime Minister was trying to derail through the office of the L-G.
Other AAP leaders said the rally was being held in support of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his three Ministers who were fighting a battle for the people of Delhi with the L-G to ask him direct State government officers to call off their “strike.”
Yechury joins
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, who also joined the rally, said his party condemned the manner in which the federal feature of the Constitution was being “undermined” by the BJP government at the Centre.
Heavy security
Leaving no stone unturned, the Delhi police had deployed around 500 security personnel, including paramilitary forces, to manage the protesters. Police had barricaded most of the intersections of roads.
“No protester was allowed to continue march beyond Parliament Street road and we had communicated it to AAP leaders. We had made elaborate security arrangements and the protest ended peacefully,” said Madhur Verma, DCP (New Delhi).
