Metro shut, roads blocked, kin ‘isolated’: Delhi cops crush AAP protest against Kejriwal arrest

Aam Aadmi Party workers took to the streets today across the country to protest against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest by the Enforcement Directorate on Thursday night in the alleged liquor excise policy scam.   

In Delhi, as AAP workers headed towards the BJP headquarters, the Delhi police imposed Section 144 to “maintain law and order” and blocked the roads leading to the BJP office. The Delhi metro operations at Lok Kalyan Marg and ITO stations were also halted.     

In a press conference in the morning, Delhi ministers Saurabh Bhardwaj and Atishi said that Kejriwal’s family has been “isolated”, “kept under house arrest”, and “not been allowed to meet anyone”.  Atishi also alleged that the arrest, weeks before the Lok Sabha elections, is a “political conspiracy”.   

The arrest comes after at least nine summons by the ED against Kejriwal. Three other AAP leaders – former Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia, MP Sanjay Singh and Satyendar Jain – are also in jail in connection with the case. 

Kejriwal first moved the Supreme Court against his arrest, but later withdrew the petition as it “clashed with the remand”, said his counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi. He added they will now approach a lower court. 

The ED, meanwhile, produced Kejriwal before a trial court, ostensibly to seek a 10-day  custody to interrogate the AAP leader.

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