The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday staged protests at opposite ends of central Delhi. While AAP leaders and workers took to the streets against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the excise policy case, the BJP protesters demanded Mr. Kejriwal’s resignation.
The AAP leaders, including Punjab Minister Harjot Singh Bains and Somnath Bharti, were detained at Patel Chowk as they attempted to march towards the Prime Minister’s residence on Lok Kalyan Marg.
According to the Delhi Police, security was stepped up around metro stations in central Delhi and more personnel were deployed in and around the area. DCP (New Delhi) Devesh Kumar said, “No permission was given for any kind of protest. Security has been intensified around the area as we also got information that protesters will gather at the Patel Chowk metro station.”
Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) banning assembly has already been imposed around the Prime Minister’s residence, an officer said.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, in a post on X said the entry and exit gates at the Lok Kalyan Marg metro station have been closed due to security reasons. Entry and exit have also been restricted at the Patel Chowk and Central Secretariat metro stations, it added.
At least 57 BJP protesters, including the party’s Delhi chief Virenda Sachdeva, were detained as party workers and leaders gathered near the Arun Jaitley Stadium and marched towards the Delhi Secretariat, demanding the Chief Minister’s resignation. The police said some BJP workers climbed over barricades while marching towards the Secretariat. “Water cannons were used to disperse the protesters. Some of them were detained near the Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg when they tried to break through a layer of barricades,” a police officer said.
In parts of central Delhi, security personnel equipped with anti-riot gear were deployed to ensure law and order. “Proper security arrangements have been made around the PM’s residence and metro station. We also have to ensure smooth traffic movement for commuters,” the DCP said.
Kejriwal issues direction
The Chief Minister, meanwhile, issued directions to his government to ensure that medicines and testing facilities are available to people at all government hospitals and Mohalla Clinics, Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj told reporters at a press conference.
This is the second such direction by the Chief Minister from the ED custody. On Sunday, he asked his government to make arrangements for water tankers to help people cope with summer shortage in the city.
Hearing today
The AAP national convener was remanded in the ED custody till March 28 by a court. The Delhi High Court will on Wednesday hear a petition by the Chief Minister challenging his arrest by the ED.
Mr. Kejriwal’s petition, which has sought his immediate release on the ground that his arrest and the subsequent remand to the ED was “illegal”, is listed for hearing before Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma at 10.30 a.m.
AAP leader and Delhi Minister Gopal Rai lashed out at the BJP-led Central government for “misusing” the police and paramilitary forces, saying, “I would like to say this to the Central government that you cannot stop this movement using your police force. Our voice is reaching the entire country. There will be a mega rally by the INDIA bloc [against Mr. Kejriwal’s arrest] on March 31 at the Ramlila Maidan. Prominent leaders from the Opposition’s alliance from across the nation will join this rally.”
In the run-up to the mega rally, Mr. Rai said party office-bearers and councillors would hold meetings with the public at all polling stations in Delhi, and 2,600 teams had been formed to go door-to-door inviting people to come to Ramlila Maidan on March 31. The AAP’s legal cell has also declared that it would stage protests in all courts of Delhi on Wednesday at noon.
