AAP protest in Delhi: BJP has started 'Operation Jhaadu' to crush AAP, alleges Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal

New Delhi, May 19

The Delhi Police has beefed up security in and around the BJP headquarters here in view of a protest announced by AAP’s national convener and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal there on Sunday, even as police said the party has not sought permission for the demonstration.

Meanwhile, Kejriwal on Sunday claimed that the BJP sees AAP as a threat and is determined to crush the party, terming it ‘Operation Jhaadu’.

“They have started ‘Operation Jhaadu’ to crush the party. Ever since I got bail, the PM has not stopped talking about AAP. He is worried about the rise of the AAP as it poses a threat to the BJP,” he said while addressing the party workers.

The BJP and AAP have entered a tussle over the Swati Maliwal ‘assault’ case. The Delhi Police on Saturday arrested Bibhav Kumar and later at night he was produced before the Tis Hazari courts.

The police had sought Kumar’s seven-day police custody, however, the court granted five-day remand.

Kejriwal has further alleged that AAP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha and Delhi Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj will also be arrested. He said there will be bigger challenges ahead and asked the cadre to be prepared to face them.

“BJP thinks that this way they can do away with us. No, this will not happen, this is not a party but a force of 140 crore people who have done immense work in Punjab, Delhi and across the country that people must have not seen in the past 75 years,” he added.

Kejriwal, who is out on interim bail in the excise policy case, had said on Saturday that he and other AAP leaders would go to the BJP headquarters on May 19 “so that the prime minister can send anyone he wishes to jail”.

“We will peacefully march to the BJP headquarters and if the police stop us, we will sit at that spot. We will wait for half an hour and see if they arrest us. If they do not arrest us, it will be their defeat. You can send us all in jail and see for yourself if the party ends or it rises more,” he said.

The traffic police has also issued an advisory in view of the protest planned outside the BJP office at the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg, while entry and exit have been disallowed at the nearest ITO metro station. — with PTI