Delhi Police enters AAP headquarters, detain workers

AAP calls it fascism of Central government, says Narendra Modi running Delhi like a ‘dictator’

Amid AAP’s protests against the BJP over Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia’s arrest in connection with the now-scrapped liquor policy, Delhi Police on Monday stormed the AAP headquarters and detained party workers. Police personnel were seen barging into the AAP office and taking away some of the workers who were shouting slogans.

When contacted, DCP (Central) Sanjay Kumar Sain said no AAP worker was detained from the party office. “A few personnel entered the AAP headquarters because of a confusion that a police officer was stuck inside the premises amid the crowd,” the officer said, adding that only workers who were present at the party office’s gate were detained. “Minimum force was used to disperse the crowd,” the DCP said. 

Also Read | ‘Modi govt. doing what Indira Gandhi did during Emergency’, says AAP on Manish Sisodia arrest

Calling out the Central Government’s “fascist” behaviour, senior AAP leader Atishi hit out at the Prime Minister and said “Mr. Narendra Modi thinks he can put anyone in jail without any evidence or investigation”.

“As long as Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia is in jail, AAP party workers will continue to protest against the tyranny of the BJP leadership,” she said.

On Monday morning, the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg, which houses the headquarters of both AAP and the BJP as well as the Rouse Avenue court where Mr. Sisodia was to be produced later in the day, turned into a fortress with multiple layers of barricades and heavy police presence. Delhi Police, which comes under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), informed that Section 144 of the CrPC was imposed in the area even as AAP called a protest outside the BJP office. There was heavy deployment of security personnel, including the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Rapid Action Force (RAF). A riot control vehicle was also deployed at the site. DCP Sain said protesters refused to heed the police’s requests to disperse.

Around 2 p.m., despite prohibitory orders, AAP workers tried to march towards the BJP headquarters from the AAP office. This led to a scuffle with the security personnel. The police then detained AAP workers and urged them to stop their protest. The protest, however, continued.