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Several senior AAP leaders, including Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh and MLAs Durgesh Pathak, Rakhi Birla, Kuldeep Kumar, Jarnail Singh, Pankaj Gupta and Kartar Singh, as well as workers were detained by the Delhi Police Monday for holding a sit-in protest outside the CBI headquarters in “violation of prohibitory orders”.
The AAP was protesting against the central agency’s summons to Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in connection with the excise policy case.
Ahead of Sisodia’s questioning at 11 am, police had imposed Section 144 in the New Delhi district. Heavy security arrangements and police force was also deployed at the minister’s residence on Mathura Road and Rajghat while roads leading to the CBI headquarters were heavily barricaded with water cannons and police vans deployed.
Before he headed to the CBI office, Sisodia took out a roadshow to Rajghat with hundreds of AAP supporters and MLAs walking along with him in support. He reached Rajghat around 10-10.15 am and paid his respects at the Gandhi samadhi along with MP Sanjay Singh and MLAs Saurabh Bhardwaj and Pathak.
Calling Sisodia and jailed Health Minister Satyendar Jain “aaj ke Bhagat Singh”, senior leaders including Singh, MLA Atishi and others raised slogans of ‘Modi Shahi nahi chalegi’, ‘Modi jab darta hai police ko aage karta hai’ which was echoed by workers. Leaders and workers alike sported yellow scarves and turbans.
At the CBI HQ, Singh said the BJP is after Sisodia as it fears his successful education model and losing the Gujarat Assembly polls to AAP. “We have given a call to all party workers to join us here in large numbers. We all are ready to go to jail. They raided his house, checked his bank locker and found nothing. Despite no evidence, they are planning to arrest Sisodia…,” he said.
“Shaheed Bhagat Singh fought Britishers and sacrificed his life for India’s freedom… The British left but the country is asking for a sacrifice even today. We are sons of Bhagat Singh and are not afraid of BJP’s lies and conspiracies,” said Pathak.
Kalkaji MLA Atishi added, “They found nothing against him, not even a single penny of corruption. They filed a fake complaint against him… We are an honest party. We will sit here till Sisodia ji comes out.”
Around 1.15 pm, party workers and AAP leaders were detained with police personnel seen dragging Singh and MLAs Kuldeep Kumar, Jarnail Singh and others. Pathak reportedly fainted in the process while Kumar lay on the road and refused to budge.
Singh said, “We are sitting on a peaceful protest, but Modi’s police is dragging and harassing women and senior leaders. We are sitting peacefully here, how is this a violation of Section 144?… We are elected representatives, don’t we deserve respect? This is complete atrocity by police.”
Deputy Speaker in the Delhi Assembly Rakhi Birla alleged: “I was standing silently in support of Sisodia ji when they pushed me forcefully inside the bus… Detain us, but we will not stop supporting Sisodia ji… The BJP is scared of losing.”
As per police, party leaders were detained and taken to different police stations.
Meanwhile, AAP MLAs Somnath Bharti, Sanjeev Jha and few others waited at the CGO complex signal while Sisodia was being questioned. Bharti said: “The BJP is scared because of AAP’s popularity in Gujarat. They are trying to threaten ministers and leaders with its CBI-ED. But we are not afraid, we will all go to jail… We will wait here till he comes out.”
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