The Aam Aadmi Party took to the streets in Delhi on Sunday against the CBI for summoning Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for interrogation in connection with the excise policy case.
Top leaders of the party, including Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Delhi ministers Saurabh Bharadwaj, Atishi and Kailash Gahlot, and Rajya Sabha MPs Sandeep Pathak, Raghav Chadha and Sanjay Singh, gathered near the federal agency’s headquarters and raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi as Kejriwal’s questioning was underway.
Addressing a press conference here, AAP Delhi convener Gopal Rai claimed that around 1,500 people have been detained by police and several MLAs and councillors “arrested” across the national capital for staging protests against the CBI summons to the chief minister.
“The central government is conspiring to arrest Kejriwal. Several people even took the streets and protested against the CBI across the city. Heavy security was deployed and many people who came out in support of Arvind Kejriwal were detained,” he said.
“Around 1,500 people have been detained or arrested by police across Delhi for staging protests. Thirty-two Delhi MLAs and 70 councillors have been arrested in the city and 20 Punjab AAP MLAs have been arrested at Delhi border,” Rai claimed.
A large number of security personnel was also deployed across the city and barricades were put up at various locations.
Heavy traffic snarls in parts of Delhi
Heavy traffic snarls were witnessed on Sunday in several parts of Delhi following protests by AAP workers against the summoning of Kejriwal by the CBI in the excise policy case.
Vehicular movement was choked at the protest sites of Anand Vihar Terminal, ITO Chowk, Mukarba Chowk Peera Garhi Chowk, Lado Sarai Chowk, Crown Plaza Chowk, Dwarka More Sec 6 and Sec 2 Chauraha, Pecific Wala Chowk Subhash Nagar More, Prem Wari Chauraha Ring Road, New Delhi Railway Station Ajmeri Gate Side, Bara Hanuman Mandir, Karol Bagh Chowk, IIT Crossing, ISBT Kashmiri Gate, Raj Ghat and NH 24 near Murga Mandi Gazipur.
Serpentine queues of vehicles clogged the roads owing to the protest.
Commuters stuck because of the protests at NH-44 and GT-Karnal Road tweeted pictures that showed long queues of vehicles.
Moving at a snail’s pace in bumper-to-bumper traffic, many commuters tagged the police in their social media posts and requested them to manage the situation. Police officials, along with the traffic unit deployed at multiple locations, persuaded the protesters to move from the roads and allow vehiclular movement to flow.