At least eight people have been arrested for putting up posters against Prime Minister Narendra Modi across Ahmedabad in Gujarat after AAP launched a nationwide campaign on 'Modi Haatao Desh Bachaao'.
In a release, the city crime branch said eight persons have been arrested on the charge of damaging public property by putting up posters with the text “Modi Hatao Desh Bachao” in areas like Isanpur, Maninagar, Vatva, Narol and Vadaj. The posters were put up by the AAP workers, it said.
The Gujarat police said that "objectionable posters" were put up across various parts of the city in an "unauthorised manner".
According to the Ahmedabad Police, a case has been registered and further probe into the matter is underway.
Commenting on the arrest of AAP's party workers, Gujarat AAP chief Isudan Gadhvi wrote, "Look at the dictatorship of BJP! Aam Aadmi Party workers in Gujarat have been jailed under various sections of the IPC in connection with the posters of Modi hatao desh bachao! If this is not fear of Modi and BJP, then what else? Try as hard as you want! Aam Aadmi Party workers will fight."
Police have identified the AAP workers as Natwar Thakor, Jatin Patel, Kuldeep Bhatt, Bipin Sharma, Ajay Chauhan, Arvind Chauhan, Jivan Maheshwari and Paresh Tulsiani.
AAP’s Gujarat vice president Sagar Rabari said though the party posted such posters in many other states on Thursday, only Gujarat police booked their workers.
“Ahmedabad is the only city where people are deprived of their Constitutional rights because police can arrest you anytime and book you as per their whims and fancies. This police action proves that our apprehension that democracy is in danger is not misplaced and we were not wrong in carrying out that poster drive,” said Rabari.
In last year’s Gujarat Assembly elections, AAP won five seats and secured 13 per cent of the popular vote, in a performance that belied its high-decibel campaign in the state. BJP registered a record 156 wins in the house of 182 seats.
