Police personnel stop AAP supporters during a protest, in New Delhi (PTI Photo/Ravi Choudhary)
NEW DELHI: Central Delhi on Friday turned into a fortress with layers of barricades on roads and a large deployment of police and paramilitary personnel as the BJP staged a protest over corruption in the Delhi government at the AAP office on DDU Marg. A few hundred metres away at the BJP headquarters, the AAP leaders led by Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal demonstrated against “cheating” in the Chandigarh mayoral polls. Amid two protests, traffic movement was affected for hours, leaving commuters to wade through snarls.
On Friday, Kejriwal skipped the fifth summons issued to him by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the alleged liquor policy scam and joined the AAP leaders and workers in their protest against the BJP.
In his address, the Delhi chief minister attacked the BJP, alleging that the "world's biggest party was caught on camera stealing votes".
"If it (the BJP) can rig the Chandigarh mayoral polls, it can go to any extent in the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. In the last few years, we have heard that the BJP rigs polls. They tamper with EVMs and get the names of voters deleted from voter lists, but no evidence was ever found. They were caught red-handed in Chandigarh stealing votes," said Mr Kejriwal. Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann was also present at the protest site.
Kejriwal claimed that the saffron party can sell the country for power, but we will not allow them to do it. We have to save democracy and the country. He also raised the slogan, "Gali gali mein shor hai, BJP vote chor hai."
Further, the AAP national convener also alleged that the Delhi police stopped and detained a large number of party workers and leaders to prevent them from joining the protest.
The Punjab chief minister alleged that it was not the first time that the BJP had indulged in "dishonesty" during polls, but it got captured on camera for the first time. Mann also spoke about the manner in which the Opposition leaders were being targeted and alleged that those who were in power in the states were being "harassed" by the governors.
City minister Gopal Rai alleged: "Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel and deputy mayor Aaley Mohammad Iqbal have been placed under house arrest. MLAs of Rajouri Garden, Bijwasan, Chhatarpur and Krishna Nagar and councillors of Laxmi Nagar, Badli, Tri Nagar, Moti Nagar and Timarpur have also been placed under house arrest."
The police detained over 200 workers from both the BJP and the AAP. Workers and leaders of both parties could not reach their planned protest sites, barely 500 metres apart, because of barricades and police personnel. The police said "elaborate arrangements" were put in place on the national capital's borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to maintain law and order. Bumper-to-bumper traffic was witnessed on National Highways 24 and 9 near Akshardham and also at ITO.
On their part, the BJP leaders, waving flags and placards, attacked the AAP government, alleging large-scale corruption and demanding Mr Kejriwal's resignation. "The Kejriwal government has become synonymous with corruption. Every day, a scam of the government is exposed before the people," city BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said, adding that the way Mr Kejriwal had to leave his speech midway due to the home guards' protest is proof that his misdeeds are now coming in front of him.
Addressing protesters, Delhi Assembly Leader of the Opposition Ramveer Singh Bidhuri said that Kejriwal will be put behind bars very soon, like his former deputy Manish Sisodia.
On Friday, Kejriwal skipped the fifth summons issued to him by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the alleged liquor policy scam and joined the AAP leaders and workers in their protest against the BJP.
In his address, the Delhi chief minister attacked the BJP, alleging that the "world's biggest party was caught on camera stealing votes".
"If it (the BJP) can rig the Chandigarh mayoral polls, it can go to any extent in the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. In the last few years, we have heard that the BJP rigs polls. They tamper with EVMs and get the names of voters deleted from voter lists, but no evidence was ever found. They were caught red-handed in Chandigarh stealing votes," said Mr Kejriwal. Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann was also present at the protest site.
Kejriwal claimed that the saffron party can sell the country for power, but we will not allow them to do it. We have to save democracy and the country. He also raised the slogan, "Gali gali mein shor hai, BJP vote chor hai."
Further, the AAP national convener also alleged that the Delhi police stopped and detained a large number of party workers and leaders to prevent them from joining the protest.
The Punjab chief minister alleged that it was not the first time that the BJP had indulged in "dishonesty" during polls, but it got captured on camera for the first time. Mann also spoke about the manner in which the Opposition leaders were being targeted and alleged that those who were in power in the states were being "harassed" by the governors.
City minister Gopal Rai alleged: "Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel and deputy mayor Aaley Mohammad Iqbal have been placed under house arrest. MLAs of Rajouri Garden, Bijwasan, Chhatarpur and Krishna Nagar and councillors of Laxmi Nagar, Badli, Tri Nagar, Moti Nagar and Timarpur have also been placed under house arrest."
The police detained over 200 workers from both the BJP and the AAP. Workers and leaders of both parties could not reach their planned protest sites, barely 500 metres apart, because of barricades and police personnel. The police said "elaborate arrangements" were put in place on the national capital's borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to maintain law and order. Bumper-to-bumper traffic was witnessed on National Highways 24 and 9 near Akshardham and also at ITO.
On their part, the BJP leaders, waving flags and placards, attacked the AAP government, alleging large-scale corruption and demanding Mr Kejriwal's resignation. "The Kejriwal government has become synonymous with corruption. Every day, a scam of the government is exposed before the people," city BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said, adding that the way Mr Kejriwal had to leave his speech midway due to the home guards' protest is proof that his misdeeds are now coming in front of him.
Addressing protesters, Delhi Assembly Leader of the Opposition Ramveer Singh Bidhuri said that Kejriwal will be put behind bars very soon, like his former deputy Manish Sisodia.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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