The Aam Aadmi Party will protest outside the Prime Minister’s residence at Delhi’s high-security Lok Kalyan Marg today against party convenor Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest by the Enforcement Directorate.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will ‘gherao’ the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence at Delhi’s high-security Lok Kalyan Marg on Tuesday to protest against party convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the now-scrapped Delhi liquor policy case.
In the wake of the protest, the Delhi Traffic Police issued an advisory about restrictions and diversions on key routes, and has also said that vehicles will not be permitted to stop or park anywhere on Tughlak Road, Safdarjung Road and Kemal Ataturk Marg.
Here are the latest developments so far
- Aam Aadmi Party leaders and workers will gather in the national capital’s Patel Chowk area at 10 am. From Patel Chowk, they will march towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence in the high-security Lok Kalyan Marg via Tughlaq Road.But the Delhi Police have denied giving permission to the party to stage any such protest.Today’s protest is against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21 in connection with the money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped excise policy. He is currently under the Enforcement Directorate’s custody until Thursday.
- In view of the protest, the Delhi Traffic Police (DTP) have issued advisories to warn people against taking certain routes on Tuesday. The DTP has advised people to avoid Kemal Ataturk Marg, Safdarjang Road, Akbar Road and the Teen Murti Marg. It also advised people going to the airport, railway and bus stations to “carefully plan their travel with sufficient time at hand”.
- In another advisory, the traffic police also asked people not to park or stop their vehicles on Tughlaq Road, Safdarjang Road and Kemal Ataturk Marg. It said that the general entry of the public will not be permitted in these areas and any violations will result in strict legal action, including towing.
- Meanwhile, traffic will be diverted through several points, including Aurobindo Chowk, roundabouts at Samrat Hotel, Gymkhana Post Office, Teen Murti Haifa, Niti Marg, and Kautilya Marg.
- Meanwhile, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on Tuesday also announced some restrictions in the wake of the AAP protest.
- Taking to social media, the DMRC said entry and exit at the Lok Kalyan Marg Metro station, Patel Chowk Metro Station’s gate 3 and the Central Secretariat Metro station’s gate 5 “will remain closed until further notice”.
- “Security Update… Due to security reasons, entry/exit at Lok Kalyan Marg Metro station, Gate no 3 of Patel Chowk Metro Station and Gate no 5 of Central Secretariat Metro station will remain closed till further notice,” the DMRC said in a tweet.
- On the occasion of Holi on Monday, Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said the party “will celebrate Holi only after Arvind Kejriwal is released from jail”.Speaking to the ANI news agency, he said that, “Arvind Kejriwal, Satyendar Jain and Manish Sisodia are family members of AAP. Hence, the party has decided not to celebrate Holi this year. We will celebrate Holi only after Arvind Kejriwal is released from jail.”He went on to say that the sitting Chief Minister and the convenor of a national party was arrested as the Model Code of Conduct was in force following the announcement of the Lok Sabha elections.”The whole world is shocked… All Opposition parties have decided that we will organise a huge rally at the Ramlila Maidan on March 31,” he announced.
- A day before the protest, the AAP launched a social media campaign, under which all the party leaders, MLAs and workers changed their social media DPs to the one that reads ‘Modi ka sabse bada darr-Kejriwal’ (Modi’s biggest fear is Kejriwal).Announcing the campaign on Monday, Delhi Minister Atishi said, “There is a photo of Arvind Kejriwal in the DP while he is seen behind bars.””Today, the Aam Aadmi Party is starting a DP campaign on social media across the country to convey this feeling of fear in Prime Minister Narendra Modi to every home, and to spread the spark of Arvind Kejriwal to every home,” she told reporters in Delhi.
- Tuesday’s AAP protest comes ahead of the Opposition INDIA bloc’s planned mega rally at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan on March 31 against Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest.AAP leader Gopal Rai said,”All the INDIA-bloc parties will hold this ‘maha rally’ to safeguard the country’s interests and democracy.”
- Article source: indiatoday.in
