The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday alleged that the Delhi Police put Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal under house arrest after he met protesting farmers at the Singhu border. However, the Delhi Police denied the claim, saying the Chief Minister was free to go anywhere.
Later, Kejriwal said, “I wanted to sit with farmers today as an aam aadmi but was not allowed to go. I hope that the Centre will soon accept all the demands of the farmers so that farmers are not forced to spend nights in shivering cold.”
AAP chief spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj claimed the Delhi Police had put barricades at all the sides of the CM residence and no one was allowed to meet him.
“Our MLAs were supposed to meet the Delhi Chief Minister but the Delhi Police did not allow them to meet. Moreover, the Delhi Police harassed and beat up party MLAs and volunteers,” he said.
Bhardwaj said, “The BJP-ruled Central Government is scared because if Delhi Chief Minister comes out of his residence and stands beside the farmers today in support of the Bharat Bandh called by the farmers then the lies of the BJP will be exposed. The BJP is scared because they have been lying continuously and want to stop the CM to stand with the farmers in their protest.”
“The Delhi Police Commissioner was informed about the fact that the Delhi Police barricaded the CM residence. When we informed the Delhi police Commissioner he expressed his helplessness on the recent situation. The Delhi Police officials have informed us that this is happening under the instruction of the BJP-ruled Central Government,” he claimed.
The AAP in a statement said Kejriwal, along with the whole Cabinet of Delhi, visited the Singhu border to review the situation and informed the farmers that he has come here as a caregiver and not as a CM.
“As soon as he returned home the Delhi Police put him under house arrest. The AAP observed that the Delhi Police has done this so that Kejriwal cannot come out in support of the farmers and join the Bharat Bandh,” it said.
Reacting to the charges, a senior police official said, “We have our security personnel deployed outside his residence as a precautionary measure to avoid any clash between BJP and AAP members. Even last evening, he had come out of his house. There is no restriction on his movement.”
Anto Alphonse, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), North district on Tuesday also tweeted a photo of the entrance of Kejriwal’s residence and denied the allegations.
“This claim of the CM being put on house arrest is incorrect. He exercises his right to free movement within the law of the land. A picture of the house entrance says it all,” he stated in his tweet.
Hitting hard at Kejriwal, BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia accused him of indulging in “politics of lies”.
“Stop this politics of lies and step out of your house. There are cameras outside your house. Let the entire country and Delhi see whether you’re under house arrest or not,” said Bhatia.