A convergence of demonstrations unfolded on the streets of Delhi on Tuesday, as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) rallied in opposition to their leader Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) staged protests demanding his resignation. The protests unfolded a day ahead of the Delhi high court’s scheduled hearing concerning Kejriwal’s plea.
Officials took several AAP figures into custody, including Punjab education minister Harjot Bains, AAP Malviya Nagar legislator Somnath Bharti, and deputy speaker of the Delhi assembly Rakhi Birla, as they initiated their march from Patel Chowk Metro station towards the Prime Minister’s residence. The AAP’s march was met with detentions by the police citing enforcement of Section 144 across the New Delhi district, escalating the day’s tensions. Among the demonstrators, AAP’s Archana Sharma voiced solidarity with Kejriwal, underscoring the absence of concrete evidence against the CM and affirming the improvements he brought to Delhi.
Simultaneously, BJP representatives were restrained during their protest at the Delhi Secretariat, with police deploying water cannons to control the crowd. Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva joined national secretary Manjinder Singh Sirsa and others in denouncing Kejriwal’s decision to run his government from detention as an aberration from standard political conduct. In contrast to Kejriwal’s decision to remain in charge, Sachdeva cited past leaders’ resignations under similar allegations to highlight his stance on the matter.
Amidst these events, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation indicated temporary closures at the Lok Kalyan Marg Metro station due to the protests, later reopening in the evening along with other stations. The AAP refuted the legitimacy of the charges against Kejriwal, asserting his continued commitment to the people despite the legal challenges. Wednesday’s high court session is expected to address Kejriwal’s petition asserting the illegality of his arrest and remand, with Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma overseeing the proceedings starting at 10.30am.
With Kejriwal in custody until March 28, the AAP has analogized the dynamics with Modi’s residence to register their protest against the Enforcement Directorate’s actions. Both demonstrations signal a highly charged political atmosphere in Delhi, encapsulating the contentious dispute over governance and legal accountability within India’s capital.