NEW DELHI – Police in the Indian capital arrested dozens of political workers on Tuesday when they tried to march to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence.
The protest march was triggered by last week’s arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Kejriwal has emerged as a strong opposition leader against Modi in recent years and his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has governed New Delhi for a decade. He was arrested by the financial crimes agency on corruption charges and this development comes weeks before India begins voting in general elections on April 19.
Kejriwal was remanded to the custody of the Enforcement Directorate in the city’s liquor policy case until March 28. The lawyer for the agency argued that Kejriwal was the “kingpin” in the case and needed to be interrogated.
All of the key leaders of Kejriwal’s party are now imprisoned in this liquor policy case. Kejriwal however says he has been “falsely arrested” in a “fabricated case”. The Modi-led federal government and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) deny Kejriwal’s allegation.
On Tuesday, Kejriwal’s supporters attempted to march to Modi’s residence but police stopped them five kilometres from the place and they staged a rally there. News reports showed several protesters sitting on the ground and chanting slogans as police personnel tried to haul them into buses.
On the other hand, police used water cannons in parts of the city to disperse BJP supporters trying to march to the Delhi Secretariat. They were deanding Kejriwal’s resignation. Police detained some of them.
