Arvind Kejriwal backs Yogendra Yadav, criticises his arrest

New Delhi: Ex-AAP leader Yogendra Yadav was on Tuesday arrested along with 85 volunteers of his Swaraj Abhiyan during a protest on farmers’ issue at Jantar Mantar, but hours later he was released by a court and he accused the police of highhandedness.

Condemning the post-midnight police crackdown on protesters who were demanding a farmers’ memorial at Race Course here, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Aam Aadmi Party came out in support of Mr Yadav, four months after they had a bitter public falling out leading to Mr Yadav’s ouster from the party.

Police said they made the “preventive arrests” of Mr Yadav, AAP MLA Pankaj Pushkar and others under Sections 107 (action where breach of the peace or disturbance is apprehended) and 151 (arrest to prevent the commission of cognisable offences) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) as they were planning to take out a rally without permission in the high security Delhi Race Course area.

“Yogendra Yadav and 85 others were arrested at around 1.30 am. They had the permission to carry out the protest for two days. Last evening they sought for an extension till August 16. As the deadline got over, we asked them to vacate the place,” said a senior police officer.

The protesters alleged that the policemen manhandled Mr Yadav and the the station house officer of the Parliament Street Police Station threatened to kill him, a charge denied by the police. Later, Mr Yadav was produced before a special magistrate who ordered unconditional release.