Delhi, Punjab CMs lead AAP’s march in Capital
Delhi Assembly’s leader of the opposition Ramvir Singh Bidhuri described the AAP’s protest as a “flop show”
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) held a demonstration against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday against alleged “malpractices” during the counting of votes in the recently concluded Chandigarh mayoral polls. Several party leaders also alleged that some of their people were put under house arrest by the Delhi Police.
However, police said 15 AAP workers were detained during the protest but did not comment on the allegations of house arrest.
AAP’s protest was led by national convenor and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and was held on the same stretch as the counter-protest by BJP against the alleged scams of the Delhi government.
AAP leaders also claimed that their people were prevented by the Delhi Police from reaching the protest venue to join their cohorts. At least 80 AAP workers, mostly from Punjab, were detained at the Singhu border while trying to enter the city, a senior police officer from the outer-north police district said, asking not to be named, adding that six vehicles were also confiscated.
“The detained party workers were taken to different police stations from where they were released after some time. The vehicles were also released,” the officer added.
“If they (BJP) can tamper with voters in a small election, then they can go to any extent in big elections. They (BJP) can even sell the country for power but we (AAP) will not let that happen. We have to save democracy and the country. If democracy itself is in danger, then what is the use of elections... even if we have to take to streets to save democracy and country, we will do,” Kejriwal said.
AAP Delhi convenor Gopal Rai, who is also a minister in the Delhi cabinet, said the BJP attempted to “crush” AAP’s protests to prevent the “truth behind counting of votes in the Chandigarh mayoral election from coming out”. AAP has accused the BJP of “stealing the votes” saying the presiding officer was caught on camera tampering with the polled votes.
“BJP’s police detained MLAs, Delhi assembly speaker, deputy mayor of MCD, and councillors,” Rai said.
He added that the AAP’s demonstration was not limited to the mayoral polls. “BJP is trying to take over the judiciary and all the agencies. It passed a law to usurp the rights of the people of Delhi. If the country sits silent today, they will silence the country tomorrow... the peaceful demonstration called by the CMs was suppressed by the police force,” Rai said.
Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said police were trying to stop party workers from joining the protest since Thursday evening. “On Thursday evening, Delhi Police called several AAP leaders and workers to the police station, while instructing others not to leave their homes. On Friday, several AAP legislators were placed under house arrest, and police strategically parked vehicles in front of buses carrying party workers,” Bharadwaj alleged.
Kejriwal and Mann appealed to the protestors to remain peaceful and cooperate with the police.
Meanwhile, the leader of the opposition in the Delhi Assembly, Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, said the AAP protest was a “flop show” because not enough people joined the protest. “Kejriwal and Mann escaped from the site in 15 minutes because only a handful of people were there to listen. When the AAP leaders saw that the protest site was empty, they started alleging that the Delhi Police detained their leaders. The fact is that there is no leader in AAP and it has lost the public trust,” said Bidhuri.