Amid a significant political confrontation over the arrest of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s former aide in connection with the alleged assault on AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal, Delhi Police detained several AAP workers on Sunday. The detentions occurred as they marched towards the BJP headquarters in a planned ‘Jail Bharo’ protest.
CM Kejriwal, decrying the arrest of his former aide, accused the BJP at the Centre of playing a ‘Jail Ka Khel’ (game of imprisoning leaders) against his party. He announced on Saturday that he would lead the ‘Jail Bharo’ march to the BJP headquarters, accompanied by top party leaders and workers.
Delhi Central DCP Harsha Vardhan Mandava, speaking to ANI, stated, “Based on information received through social media and other channels, we have made preventive arrangements on DDU Marg to maintain law and order. We are committed to ensuring adequate security deployments, with barricades in place to prevent any disruptions.”
He further informed that Section 144 has been imposed on DDU Marg, prohibiting any protests in the area. Earlier in the day, extensive security measures were implemented outside the BJP headquarters in anticipation of the AAP protest.
The Delhi Traffic Police issued an advisory ahead of the AAP protest, warning of potential traffic snarls on DDU Marg, IP Marg, Minto Road, and Vikas Marg. They advised commuters to avoid these areas, noting that DDU Marg might remain closed to traffic between 11 am and 2 pm.
The controversy began with the arrest of Kejriwal’s former personal assistant on Saturday in connection with the alleged assault on Swati Maliwal. The accused was produced before the Tis Hazari Court, which remanded him in police custody for five days.
In response to the arrest, Kejriwal released a video statement, accusing the BJP of targeting AAP leaders. “They are putting our leaders behind bars one after another. They have jailed me, Manish Sisodia, Satyendra Jain, and Sanjay Singh. Now they have arrested my former PA. They are threatening to jail Raghav Chadha, Atishi, and Saurabh Bharadwaj next. Perhaps our fault was building schools, mohalla clinics, and providing free electricity, which they failed to accomplish. Tomorrow, I will lead a march to the BJP headquarters with all my top leaders, MLAs, and MPs at noon. You can put whoever you want in jail,” Kejriwal said.
Last month, the Vigilance Department terminated Bibhav’s service as the CM’s personal assistant over a pending criminal case. The ongoing political drama highlights the escalating tensions between AAP and the BJP in the national capital.