E-Paper
Punjab ministers lead AAP protest over Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest in Chandigarh, detained
Protesters from AAP while trying to enter Chandigarh raised slogans against BJP-led central government, accusing it of using agencies to stifle opposition leaders
Punjab ministers Harpal Singh Cheema, Laljit Singh Bhullar, Lal Chand Kataruchak and legislator Aman Arora were on Friday detained by Chandigarh Police after they, along with hundreds of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers, tried to break past barricades set up at Mohali-Chandigarh border, near PSEB office, Sector 62.
They were marching towards Chandigarh to protest against the arrest of Delhi chief minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the Excise Policy scam.
Grassroot party workers, senior leaders and legislative assembly members, gathered near the Gurdwara Shri Amb Sahib in Sector 62 around noon, carrying placards reading “Main bhi Kejriwal”. They raised slogans against the Bharatiya Janata Party-led (BJP) Centre.
They then began to march towards the Mohali-Chandigarh border, where Chandigarh Police had heavy deployment. After protesters attempted to break the barricades, Chandigarh Police used water cannons to disperse the crowd.
AAP workers who were headed towards Amb Sahib from Chandigarh to join protests in Mohali were also stopped near Sector 50, with police using water cannons and batons to disperse them.A few protesters suffered injuries in the commotion.
Protesters were detained at the Sector 26 and Sector 39 police stations.
The protest on the Chandigarh side was led by Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board chairperson and AAP local unit co-in-charge Dr SS Ahluwalia. Chandigarh mayor Kuldeep Kumar and other councillors also participated in the protest.
Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema, who was also detained by police, accused the Centre of using ED to systematically put Opposition leaders behind bars. He asserted that the BJP’s motive was to hinder Kejriwal’s participation in the election campaigns leading up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Arora, who was also detained, cited previous instances where Sanjay Singh and Manish Sisodia were detained, saying the Centre was misusing central agencies. He questioned the timing of Kejriwal’s arrest, saying the high court had granted him until April 22, 2024, to provide his response. Ahluwalia, meanwhile, dubbed it a “black day” for the country. He claimed that Kejriwal has been implicated in a false case on the BJP’s behest, so his voice, which is becoming the voice of the entire country, can be suppressed.
Chandigarh mayor also accused the BJP of misusing central agencies, saying their actions are out in the open for everyone to see the country. He added that the party and Narendra Modi-led government will be taught a lesson by the public in the Lok Sabha elections.
MLAs Harpal Singh Cheema, Laljit Singh Bhullar, Chetan Singh Jauramajra, Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, Anmol Gagan Mann, Lal Chand Kataruchak, also took part in the protest.
