A protest by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) resulted in the detention of demonstrators outside the Patel Chowk metro station on Tuesday, expressing opposition to the arrest of its convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Among those apprehended was Harjot Singh Bains, a Punjab Minister and AAP leader. Prior to this, Delhi police made announcements outside the Patel Chowk Metro station declaring the absence of permission for protests. They invoked Section 144 of the CrPC, prohibiting gatherings of four or more individuals in an area, and demanded clearance of the area within five minutes.
In anticipation of AAP’s “gherao” protest at the Prime Minister’s residence over Kejriwal’s arrest in a liquor policy case, security measures were intensified, with police deployment outside the Patel Chowk metro station.
Simultaneously, the BJP staged a protest in the capital, demanding Kejriwal’s resignation as Chief Minister. BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa accused Kejriwal of orchestrating a diversion from an alcohol scandal and operating from custody, urging action against falsified documents.
As AAP called for a “gherao” at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence, paramilitary personnel in anti-riot gear were stationed along the route to the PM’s residence and outside the Patel Chowk metro station. Deputy Commissioner of Police, Devesh Kumar Mahla, emphasized the absence of permission for AAP’s protest and announced ample deployment to maintain law and order.
The Lok Kalyan Marg Metro Station remained closed until further notice in light of AAP’s protest plans, with gate no. 3 of Patel Chowk Metro Station and gate no. 5 of Central Secretariat Metro Station similarly closed.
Additionally, the INDIA bloc is planning a rally on March 31 to protest Kejriwal’s arrest by the Enforcement Directorate. Kejriwal was remanded to ED custody until March 28 following his arrest on March 21 in connection with the Delhi Excise Policy case tied to money laundering allegations.
The case revolves around purported irregularities and money laundering in formulating and implementing the Delhi excise policy in 2022, subsequently annulled. Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, senior AAP leaders, are currently in judicial custody related to the excise policy case. Sisodia was arrested by the CBI on February 26, 2023, while Sanjay Singh, a Rajya Sabha member, was arrested by the ED on October 5 last year.