AAP Leaders Detained Amid Protests Against CBI Summons To Arvind Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is set to appear before the CBI?in connection with the excise policy case and will be accompanied to the agency's office by his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann and cabinet colleagues

Outlook Web Desk

Updated on: 16 April 2023 10:07 am

Police detain Kejriwal supporters

Several Aam?Aadmi?Party (AAP) leaders, including Punjab ministers and MLAs, Sunday alleged they were stopped from entering Delhi, as the party's national convenor Arvind Kejriwal appeared before the CBI for questioning in the excise policy case. Some of them were also reportedly detained by the Delhi police.?

#WATCH | Aam Aadmi Party leaders including Raghav Chadha, Sanjay Singh and others detained by Delhi Police for protesting near CBI office in Delhi.

Delhi CM and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal is currently being questioned by CBI in connection with liquor scam case. pic.twitter.com/MPVRczIfa8
— ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2023

The party's leaders from Punjab were headed for Delhi in a show support to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who was summoned by the federal agency to its office in the national capital in connection with irregularities in formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped excise policy.?

Officials said the CBI may ask the AAP chief about the policy formulation process, especially of the "untraceable" file which was earlier slated to be put before the Delhi Council of Ministers.

#WATCH | AAP leaders including Bhagwant Mann, Raghav Chadha, Sanjay Singh, Atishi, Saurabh Bharadwaj and others protest outside the CBI office.

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal is inside CBI office for questioning in the liquor scam case. pic.twitter.com/n3lm3M97xx
— ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2023

The ruling party in Punjab claimed that ministers Bram Shanker Jimpa, Dr Balbir Singh and Harjot Singh Bains, and MLAs Dinesh Chadha and Kuljit Randhawa were among those stopped at the Singhu border and not allowed to enter Delhi.

?"We cannot even enter our capital? @DelhiPolice not allowing my car to enter Delhi," Punjab Education Minister Harjot Bains said in a tweet. He also said that he has been "forecefully detained" by the Delhi police.

Have been detained from Lodhi Road forcefully by Delhi Police.

We are soldiers of @ArvindKejriwal ji, Nothing can stop us.#KejriwalRukegaNahi
— Harjot Singh Bains (@harjotbains) April 16, 2023

Balbir Singh, the health minister of Punjab took to Twitter and?claimed that democracy was being "murdered" in the country.?"The Constitution and the Supreme Court give us the right to move freely in our country & to protest peacefully. Neither is being allowed. Many of my cabinet colleagues, MLAs & volunteers have been illegally detained at badli. Shame," he tweeted.

MLAs, ministers, volunteers who were peacefully travelling to Delhi were stopped, illegally detained, followed by brutal lathi charge on unarmed peaceful people. We had to do CPR & rush the injured to hospital to save lives. Brutal assault by Modi regime to crush @ArvindKejriwal pic.twitter.com/EKRAP1NTR2
— Dr Balbir Singh (@AAPbalbir) April 16, 2023

"Cabinet Minister @BJimpaAAP MLA @dineshchadha3 MLA @MGiaspura KuljitRandhawaa detained by police while protesting against the Centre's misuse of CBI to muzzle the voice of AAP convenor & Delhi CM," AAP said in a tweet.

(With inputs from PTI)