Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) held parallel protests in Delhi against each other over the Chandigarh mayoral poll outcome, which led to BJP's win and AAP's accusation that the election was rigged.
Delhi Police put up elaborate security arrangements in and around central Delhi, especially ITO, for the mega faceoff between the Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP and BJP over the protest. AAP workers were seen tearing off posters put up by BJP against CM Arvind Kejriwal.
A total 200 workers from both BJP and AAP were detained by the Delhi Police over the protests. The workers and leaders of both parties could not reach their planned protest sites covering a distance of hardly 800 metres owing to a wall of barricades and police personnel on the Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya (DDU) Marg.
While AAP decided to hold a protest outside the BJP headquarters in Delhi on Friday over the Chandigarh mayor poll, BJP also announced a counter stir. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who skipped another ED summon on Friday, and his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann were also part of the protest.
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The AAP march began soon after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann left the protest site announcing peaceful protest to their party workers. They asked them to stop where the Delhi police stops them.
Police Beefs Up Security Near ITO, Traffic Movement Hit
To maintain law and order situation, security was beefed up in the central parts of Delhi in view of the AAP and BJP protests, for which the police said permission was not been granted to both the parties.
Additional forces were deployed near the ITO area, while traffic was diverted from Deen Dayal Upadhayay Marg to other routes, leading massive traffic jam in central Delhi. Traffic movement was affected on the DDU Marg and roads leading to it as well as the GT Karnal Road and other key stretches such as the NH-24 and the Akshardham-Noida Link Road.
"Delhi Police are on alert due to Aam Aadmi Party's demonstration in Delhi. Police did not give permission for the demonstration. Police have received information about the arrival of Aam Aadmi Party workers from many areas of Delhi and also from Punjab," news agency ANI quoted Delhi Police as saying.
Delhi Police added that around 1,000 personnel and Paramilitary forces will be deployed. "Delhi BJP has also announced a protest outside AAP headquarters on 2nd February, Police have denied them permission," said Delhi Police.
'If BJP Can Rig Mayoral Polls...': Kejriwal
Amid the protest by AAP, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal attacked the BJP, saying if it can "rig" the Chandigarh mayoral polls, it could go to any extent in assembly and Lok Sabha elections.
Addressing AAP leaders and workers at the protest on Friday, Kejriwal said world's biggest party was caught on camera "stealing" votes in the Chandigarh mayoral polls, Kejriwal said.
"If they can indulge in such irregularities in the Chandigarh mayoral polls, what would they be doing in Lok Sabha and assembly elections. They can sell the country for power but we will not allow them to do it. We have to save democracy and country," he said.
AAP Says MLAs Placed Under House Arrest
AAP leader Gopal Rai told a press conference on Friday that his party's MLAs and councillors have been "placed under house arrest ahead of the protest".
"Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel and Deputy Mayor Aaley Mohd Iqbal have been placed under house arrest," he said and added that "police should issue a clarification on this".
Rai said that "they should be immediately released".
In a post on X, Kejriwal also said, "First votes were stolen in the Chandigarh mayoral elections. Now, people coming to protest peacefully against this are being stopped at various places across Delhi."
Meanwhile, Delhi Police detained 25 Punjab and Haryana AAP workers from Singhu border who were suspected to be going to take part in the party's protest in Delhi.
"A few other workers have been stopped. Those who have been detained at the border will be allowed to leave after verification," Delhi Police said.
