Central Delhi turned into a fortress as Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers reached Deen Dayal Upadhyay (DDU) Marg on Friday to protest against the arrest of their party chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
The police detained several protesters, including Delhi Ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj, shut down the ITO and Lok Kalyan Marg metro stations, and imposed prohibitory orders in central Delhi and in north Delhi’s Civil Lines, where the CM residence is located. The detainees were released later in the evening.
Heavy police presence was seen at DDU Marg, which houses the headquarters of AAP and the BJP, as well as the Rouse Avenue courts, where the CM was produced for hearing on Friday. Traffic movement was affected on several roads, including Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, Vikas Marg, Minto Road, and Indraprastha Marg.
Mr. Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday on charges of corruption and money laundering in the formulation and execution of the State government’s excise policy for 2021-22, which was later scrapped.
Police personnel deployed in central Delhi were seen frisking people in a bid to identify and detain the protesters.
Sporadic demonstrations continued throughout the day as AAP supporters kept thronging the busy ITO intersection.
Following her detention, Ms. Atishi, in a post on X, said, “I have been detained by Delhi Police while peacefully protesting at ITO. First, these people arrest the Chief Minister of Delhi in a false case, then the peaceful protesters are also arrested. If this is not a murder of democracy, then what is it?”
Mayor Shelly Oberoi and Minister Kailash Gehlot also tried to lead a protest march in Civil Lines but were prevented from reaching the CM’s residence. Mr. Gehlot alleged that the police had placed the CM’s family under house arrest. “This is completely unfair. We should be able to meet them and express our support,” the Minister said.
DCP (central) Harsha Vardhan said, “ITO and DDU Marg are not protest sites. Many important offices are located there. We had to pick up the protesters from the site to maintain law and order and allow for a smooth flow of traffic.” He said the police had to address security concerns related to the presence of a large number of protesters near the Rouse Avenue court.
Regarding security measures for Mr. Kejriwal, who was produced in a Rouse Avenue court, the officer said specific arrangements had been undertaken to ensure adequate security for the CM.
The Delhi Metro said the ITO metro station will continue to remain shut until further notice.
