AAP stages protest against Sanjay Singh’s arrest, says BJP wary of losing LS poll

Police deny permission to march to BJP headquarters; AAP says several of its leaders detained; BJP leaders offer prayers at Rajghat for ‘liberation’ of Delhi from Arvind Kejriwal’s ‘corrupt’ regime

AAP workers staging a protest against the arrest of MP Sanjay Singh, outside the BJP headquarters in Delhi on Thursday. | Photo Credit: SHASHI SHEKHAR KASHYAP

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders and workers staged a protest near the BJP headquarters in Delhi on Thursday, a day after party MP Sanjay Singh was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the excise policy case.

The protesters, who chanted slogans such as “ED-CBI, BJP ke bhai (ED and CBI are BJP’s brothers)”, planned to take out a march to the BJP office to demand Mr. Singh’s immediate release, but were denied permission by the Delhi police. AAP said several of its leaders, including MLA Jarnail Singh, were detained when they tried to breach the barricades put up by the police.

AAP leader Atishi said “out of fear of losing” the Lok Sabha poll, the BJP-led Centre has imposed an undeclared emergency in the country and “started suppressing every voice being raised against them, be it of journalists or Opposition leaders”.

Gopal Rai, AAP Delhi in-charge, said the entire country has witnessed the arrests of journalists who raise their voice against “corruption” in the Narendra Modi-led government. “The BJP leaders are saying that Arvind Kejriwal will be arrested. This shows the BJP is so paranoid about losing that they might arrest anyone,” he said.

BJP at Rajghat

Meanwhile, a delegation of BJP leaders offered prayers at Rajghat for the “liberation” of Delhi from Mr. Kejriwal’s “corrupt” regime. Leader of the Opposition Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said the edifice of AAP built on the foundation of corruption was crumbling, while party city chief Virendra Sachdeva urged citizens of Delhi to join the BJP’s agitation to uproot Mr. Kejriwal’s “corrupt” rule.

Addressing a joint press conference, BJP Lok Sabha member Parvesh Sahib Singh and party national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said AAP leaders are nervous following Mr. Singh’s arrest and that Mr. Kejriwal, the “mastermind of the liquor scam”, will be under investigation soon.

Mr. Poonawalla asked if no evidence has been found in the liquor scam, then why did the court term former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia “the principal architect of the liquor scam”. He added that the court had accepted that there was a “money transaction”.