HM asks CM to spell out his stand on sit-in
Accusing the BJP of doing “dirty politics” over the Shaheen Bagh protest, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said law and order in the national Capital entirely lies with the Centre and “if they are saying that they need permission from me, I am giving them permission, open the road in one hour”.
Lashing out heavily on Kejriwal, Union Home Minister Amit Shah dared him to visit Shaheen Bagh so that people of Delhi can decide whom they should vote in Assembly election. “The Delhi Police has booked Sharjeel Imam, a JNU student, on sedition charge for his comment of trying to cut the chicken’s neck and break the N-E from the rest of the country. I want to ask Kejriwal whether he is in favour of apprehending Sharjeel Imam or not? Whether you are with the people of Shaheen Bagh or not, please tell the people of Delhi,” Shah said while addressing an election rally in Rithala in North-West Delhi.
Imam was one of the initial organisers of the Shaheen Bagh protest. “You (the AAP leaders) people say you are with Shaheen Bagh. If you have the guts then go and sit with them. And let Delhi decide,” Shah said.
Kejriwal alleged the BJP does not want to open the Shaheen Bagh stretch of the Kalindi Kunj road where the anti-CAA protest are going on for over a month. “I can give you this in writing; The BJP does not want to open the route in Shaheen Bagh. The Shaheen Bagh route will remain closed till February 8 (election day) and it will open February 9,” Kejriwal said.
“People especially children are facing problems due to closed stretch. I appeal leaders of the BJP, including Home Minister Amit Shah, Piyush Goyal, and Ravi Shankar Prasad to visit Shaheen Bagh and talk to them (protesters) and open the road in one hour so that people will not get troubled,” he said.
“Being the Home Minister of this country, maintaining law and order in Delhi is his constitutional responsibility. India is a democracy and he should visit Shaheen Bagh and holds a talk with protesters,” Kejriwal added.
“Everyone has rights to protest in this country but common man should not suffer due to such protest. Law and order in Delhi comes under Centre. Why the BJP instead of solving this issue, doing Press conferences every day,” he said.
Union Minister and BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad also alleged that the protesters at Shaheen Bagh are emerging as a textbook case of a few hundred people trying to suppress the silent majority.
“It is offering platform to tukde tukde gang elements under the garb of opposition to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. This protest is not just a protest against CAA it is a protest against Modi,” Prasad said in a Press conference at Pandit Pant Marg.
Lakhs of people are distressed because they cannot go to office, shops are shut and their children are not able to go to school due to road block by protesters, he said.
He claimed that those trying to fragment India are getting cover at Shaheen Bagh protest where the Tricolours are being waived.