AAP, BJP stage protest in Central Delhi

Anshita Mehra

New Delhi, February 2

Central Delhi echoed with slogans as the BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) staged protests in front of each other’s headquarters on Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg today. The Delhi BJP initiated a massive protest outside the AAP office, resulting in clashes with the Delhi Police as they broke barriers to enter the office where Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was present.

Traffic jams choke Capital

Advertisement

Protests by the BJP and the AAP a few hundred metres apart on the DDU Marg here left commuters stranded in long traffic jams in Central Delhi as police barricaded roads and diverted vehicles. Bumper-to-bumper traffic was also witnessed on the National Highway-24 and National Highway-9 near Akshardham. Traffic movement was affected on the DDU Marg and roads leading to it, with long jams witnessed at the ITO, a major intersection of the city. With barricades put up on several areas in central Delhi, other roads too saw traffic congestion. TNS

Kejriwal ignores fifth summons from ED

Protests by the BJP and the AAP a few hundred metres apart at the DDU Marg left commuters stranded in long traffic jams in Central Delhi as police barricaded roads and diverted vehicles. Bumper-to-bumper traffic was also witnessed on the National Highway-24 and National Highway-9 near Akshardham. Traffic movement was affected on the DDU Marg and roads leading to it, with long jams witnessed at the ITO, a major intersection of the city. With barricades put up on several areas in Central Delhi, other roads too saw traffic congestion. tns

While the AAP staged a protest over alleged cheating in the Chandigarh mayoral polls, the BJP protested against ‘corruption’ in the Arvind Kejriwal government and evasion from five Enforcement Directorate (ED) summons. Slogans against Kejriwal reverberated through the streets, where BJP workers demanded his resignation.

Delhi BJP state president Virendra Sachdeva said, “Kejriwal’s evasion is evidence of his wrongdoing, and his behaviour resembles that of an economic offender.”

He added that, “Kejriwal is the only Chief Minister who has engaged in corruption under the guise of women’s safety, like the panic button scandal.”

Led by Opposition leader Ramvir Singh Bidhuri and MP Ramesh Bidhuri, the protest sought to hold Kejriwal accountable. They commented, “As his Deputy Chief Ministers Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain have gone to jail, soon Kejriwal will also be behind bars.”

Ramesh Bidhuri stated, “In the Lok Sabha elections, people of Delhi will ensure BJP’s victory on all seven seats, settling the score for Kejriwal’s corruption.”

The protest led to a clash between Delhi BJP activists and the police, resulting in detentions. Undeterred by barricades, thousands of activists confronted the AAP office, raising tension in the area.

Not just in central Delhi, the police said “elaborate arrangements” were made on the national capital’s borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to maintain law and order.

A total of 48 BJP and 15 AAP workers were detained as they tried to breach barricades, the police said, adding that no Delhi Cabinet minister and MLA were detained. However, a senior police officer said no one was placed under house arrest. “The policemen were deployed in various areas to avoid of any untoward incident.”

The security measures and route diversions in view of the protests led to heavy traffic congestion in central Delhi and other parts of the city, leaving commuters stranded in long jams.

In view of the protests by the two rival parties, the roads leading to the DDU Marg were closed for a few hours and barricades set up to stop protestors from running into each other.

In a post on X earlier, Delhi Minister and AAP leader Atishi said, “Heavy barricading all across Delhi. Buses full of AAP volunteers being detained. Hundreds of para-military forces outside the AAP office.” “Why is the BJP so scared of a protest in the Chandigarh mayoral elections?” she asked.

Her Cabinet colleague Saurabh Bharadwaj in a video statement asked whether the BJP was scared of Kejriwal.

The unfolding political drama in Delhi, marked by ED’s summons, BJP’s vocal protest and potential legal ramifications, underscores escalating political tension ahead of crucial elections in the nation’s capital.