AAP, BJP take to streets over Kejriwal's arrest; Delhi HC to hear CM's plea Wednesday

New Delhi, Mar 26 (PTI) The AAP took to the streets on Tuesday over the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal with its leaders and workers trying to march towards the prime minister's residence before being stopped while the BJP held counter protests demanding the Delhi chief minister's resignation.

The Delhi High Court will on Wednesday hear a petition by Kejriwal challenging his arrest by the ED in a money-laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy scam.

During the day, Kejriwal issued a new order from ED custody to Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj to address shortage of medicines and diagnostic tests at mohalla clinics and hospitals in the city. This is the second direction issued by the chief minister from ED custody.

Sources in the Enforcement Directorate on Sunday said the agency would probe whether these directions from the arrested chief minister were in line with the special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court's order issued to the ED and Kejriwal during his custody period.

As the Aam Aadmi Party leaders and supporters gathered near Patel Chowk Metro Station to move towards the prime minister's residence in Lok Kalyan Marg, AAP leader Gopal Rai alleged that the way the central government has imposed restrictions under section 144 "across the city", it seems Delhi has become a "police state".

Police beefed up security in several parts of the national capital, including around the prime minister's residence and Central Delhi, by deploying its personnel and those of paramilitary forces.

A senior police officer said around 100 people, including AAP leader Somnath Bharti, Delhi Assembly Deputy Speaker Rakhi Birla and Punjab minister Harjot Singh Bains, were detained during the protest. Later, they were released.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation had to shut the gates of Lok Kalyan Marg Metro Station due to security reasons. Two gates of Patel Chowk and Central Secretariat metro station were also shut. After nine hours, these gates were opened.

"I want to warn the Centre that this movement will not stop with the use of police force," Rai said and claimed women workers of his party were dragged and detained.

AAP workers and leaders started reaching near the Patel Chowk metro station in groups since morning as the party had called for a "gherao" at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence. They raised slogans of "Inquilab Zindabad" and "Kejriwal Zindabad".

Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Devesh Kumar had then warned that those who gather at the chowk to demonstrate would be detained immediately.

Rai asserted that the fight against the "dictatorship" in the country is the struggle of those who love democracy and the Constitution, and announced that preparations are now underway for a "maharally" at the Ramleela ground here on March 31.

Meanwhile, the BJP also staged a protest against the AAP near Delhi Secretariat, demanding the resignation of Kejriwal.

At least 57 BJP members, including the party's Delhi unit chief Virendra Sachdeva, were detained as they tried to march towards the Delhi Secretariat. Police also used water cannons to stop them.

Leading the protesters, Sachdeva charged that the AAP government in Delhi was running "illegally", saying Kejriwal should resign from the post of chief minister if he has any morality.

"Even his former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and former minister Satyendar Jain may be pondering if Kejriwal can run government from jail then why he took their resignations after arrest," he said taking a dig at the Delhi chief minister.

Participating in the BJP protest, party candidate from the North East Lok Sabha seat Manoj Tiwari said "A government cannot be run from jail. You can run a gang from jail but not a government. A government can run only as per the Constitution." Hours after Kejriwal issued directions to him to address the shortage of medicines, Bharadwaj said a session of the Delhi Assembly will be held on Wednesday.

"Tomorrow is the session of Delhi Assembly. The Chief Secretary has been ordered to inform the status of free medicines and free tests in hospitals and mohalla clinics and if there is any deficiency, then come up with a complete plan to correct it. So that I can inform the assembly," he said in a post on X in Hindi.

He said Kejriwal believes that even though he has been arrested, people of Delhi should not face any problem in getting free tests and medicines in government hospitals and mohalla clinics.

Meanwhile, Kejriwal's petition seeking immediate release on account of the arrest and the subsequent remand to ED being "illegal" is listed for hearing before Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma of the Delhi High Court at 10.30 am.

Many prominent leaders of Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) combine will join the mega rally in which lakhs of people will be present, Rai told a press conference on Tuesday.

Bharadwaj said the maharally will be an occasion where all big leaders of INDIA bloc will come together.

The entire country will raise its voice against the arrest of Kejriwal just ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, he said. PTI SLB VIT NSM NIT BM ALK ADS BUN ZMN

Disclaimer: This article is published from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by the Deccan Chronicle team