AAP workers protesting arrest of Kejriwal face lathi charge
Party supporters hit the streets in Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra; ‘no evidence’ against Delhi CM, claims AAP as several leaders detained; Hemant Soren’s wife condemns action; will seek probe into Punjab excise policy, says BJP
Protests broke out in several States on Friday, a day after the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest in New Delhi by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for his alleged role in the Delhi excise case.
In Punjab and Haryana, police used water cannons and lathicharged AAP supporters who were marching towards Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini’s residence in Kurukshetra. AAP leaders said the senior State unit leaders and several party workers sustained injuries during the protest.
Protestors raised slogans against the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the action against Mr. Kejriwal was due to his “growing popularity”.
In Punjab’s Mohali, police used water cannons to stop AAP workers who tried to enter Chandigarh and march towards the
State unit BJP office there.
In Chandigarh, Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema alleged that Opposition leaders are being arrested to silence their voice.
“Kejriwal talked about giving good education to children, providing good health facilities to citizens, eliminating corruption. That is why BJP targeted him. We are Kejriwal’s soldiers and we stand solidly behind him,” he said.
In Gujarat, demonstrations were organised in Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Surat and Bhavnagar. Police detained nearly 130 protesters, including AAP Gujarat president Isudan Gadhavi and party MLAs Umesh Makwana and Hemant Khava.
“There is absolutely no evidence against Mr. Kejriwal. ED officials have arrested a popular CM,” said Mr. Gadhavi before being detained by the police along with protestors.
In Rajasthan, protesting AAP leaders and workers were lathicharged outside the BJP State headquarters in Jaipur. AAP State president Naveen Paliwal said the BJP government is destroying democracy and trying to suppress the voice of the public.
AAP leaders in Mumbai accused the police of highhandedness while they were protesting in the earnearly 20 ly hours on Friday. State unit president Preeti Sharma Menon said workers were shoved and beaten and women were detained in the night. She alleged that some of the workers were even punched.
Kalpana Soren, wife of jailed former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren, in a post on X (formerly Twitter, attacked the Centre and the BJP. “They think they will be reinstated to the throne by arresting leaders with a mass following of crores,” she wrote.
‘BJP to approach EC’ Meanwhile, Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar said a party delegation will approach the Election Commission to seek an ED probe into the State’s excise policy, which he claimed was tailored along the lines of the one for Delhi.
“The (Delhi) excise policy for which Mr. Kejriwal had to see this day, the same model has been replicated in Punjab,” Mr. Jakhar told reporters in Chandigarh.