LIVE | Delhi court sends Kejriwal to ED custody till March 28
AAP accuses Mumbai police of high-handedness
The Aam Aadmi Party on Friday accused the Mumbai police of high-handedness while they were protesting in the early hours against the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
AAP’s Maharashtra president Preeti Sharma Menon said their workers were shoved and beaten and women were detained in the night. She alleged some of the workers were even punched. “During the protest, several AAP members were hit and shoved by police officers. Our leader, Aslam Merchant, was punched in the nose by an inspector, resulting in severe bleeding. Furthermore, our members were shifted from police station to police station and finally dumped in Azad Maidan without adequate facilities, such as light, fans, chairs, or toilets,” she said. Ten AAP leaders were detained at MRA Marg police station, she said, adding that all were later discharged by the court.
AAP stands rock solid behind Kejriwal; he will emerge a bigger leader: Punjab CM Mann
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday met the family of his Delhi counterpart and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal, arrested by the Enforcement Directorate, and said the party stood rock solid behind him.
Mann, addressing a press conference, called Kejriwal a patriot and added he will emerge from this episode a bigger leader. Kejriwal is not just an individual but an idea, he said.
The Punjab chief minister lashed at the BJP and the prime minister, alleging they were pursuing "dictatorship" and did not want any opposition leader to campaign for the Lok Sabha polls. "Where is democracy in this country? In Russia, (Vladimir) Putin got 88 per cent votes. They are following Putin's path," Mann said, referring to the recent presidential poll in Russia.
Mann said he will continue to attend the meetings of the opposition bloc INDIA as he used to do along with Kejriwal in the past. The INDIA bloc stands strong in this hour and in the coming days, "we will meet EC (Election Commission) and hold joint events", he said.
Public will teach a lesson to BJP: Akhilesh on Arvind Kejriwal's arrest
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Friday slammed the BJP for the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, saying they can put leaders in jail but not the public which will teach them a lesson.
"Sending the chief minister to jail and controlling news will not help them as they are weakening democracy and suppressing the voice of those who want to raise the truth," the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister told reporters after meeting senior party leader Azam Khan who is lodged in a jail here.
"They (BJP) can send as many leaders to jail as possible but will not be able to send the public to jail," Yadav said, adding time is the biggest factor and when time comes it will teach them a lesson. He also accused the BJP of having a 'brahmand record" (universe) of getting fake cases filed.
AAP workers hit streets against Kejriwal's arrest
Raising slogans "Arvind tum sangharsh karo, hum tumhare sath hain" and "tyranny won't last", hundreds of AAP leaders and workers on Friday hit the streets to protest against the BJP over Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's arrest, with AAP ministers Atishi, Saurabh Bharadwaj and others being detained.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in an Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case on Thursday evening. There was a sea of khaki and blue outside the AAP headquarters on the Rouse Avenue Road in Central Delhi as multiple layers of barricades and a large number of security personnel were deployed to thwart party leaders and workers from marching towards the BJP headquarters.
Several protestors were bungled into buses as they gathered at the ITO intersection around 10.30 am to proceed towards the BJP office on the DDU Marg.
Paramilitary personnel in anti-riot gear were also deployed to maintain law and order.
Many AAP workers lay down on the road to resist the police's attempts to detain them. Women police personnel were seen dragging female protesters, many of whom were demonstrating carrying pictures of Kejriwal.
According to police, more than 50 protestors have been detained so far and taken to various police stations located far away from Central Delhi.
AAP protest: DMRC shuts Lok Kalyan Marg Metro Station
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) announced closure of Lok Kalyan Marg Metro Station in view of AAP's protest on Friday, officials said.
The road is where the prime minister's residence is. The transporter shut down the station following the directions of police.
Earlier in the day, DMRC announced closure of ITO Metro Station from 8 am to 6 pm. "On advice of Delhi Police, Lok Kalyan Marg Metro station will also remain closed in addition to ITO Metro station till further notice," the DMRC posted on X.
BJP targeting Opposition leaders: CPI
“Our party CPI strongly condemns the arrest of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. He has been arrested after the announcement of the Lok Sabha elections schedule. The BJP is using the central agencies to promote its own political interests. Instead of talking about people’s livelihood in the country, the BJP is targeting opposition leaders,” says CPI general secretary D Raja
BJP resorts to maximum hate speech: Punjab CM
Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann says, "...BJP indulges in the maximum hate speech in the country... They have stopped the funds of the National Health Mission for AAP's Mohalla clinics... How dare they stop Punjab's tableau and celebrate Republic Day with Punjab's participation... If it was in their control, they would remove the name of Punjab from the National Anthem... They want no opposition leaders to be able to campaign for the upcoming elections... He is walking in the footsteps of Vladimir Putin. This is a dictatorship..."