Kejriwal’s car ‘attacked’ in Gujarat

NEW DELHI/LUCKNOW/AHMEDABAD: Violent clashes erupted between BJP and AAP workers in New Delhi, Lucknow and Khari village in Gujarat on Wednesday after AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal was briefly detained by police during his Gujarat tour.

Police said that Kejriwal was detained for allegedly violating the model code of conduct that came into force after the announcement of the Lok Sabha election dates were announced by the Election Commission as he had not sought permission for his road show.

Delhi Police had to use batons and water-cannons at the BJP’s headquarters when workers of Aam Aadmi Party workers had gathered outside the BJP headquarters in Ashoka Road to protest their leader’s brief detention by the Gujarat police this afternoon. Soon both sides were engaged in pelting of stones alleging that the other side started it. Police which reached the spot sought to disperse the crowd by using water canons. Plastic chairs were also hurled from inside the BJP office on the crowds outside.

“We cannot change the path of our caravan. What was the need to detain Kejriwal? Modi is scared of Kejriwal. Rahul Gandhi is in Aurangabad but he wasn’t stopped. This rally was fixed days in advance,” AAP leader Shazia Ilmi, who was among the protesters, said.

In Lucknow, AAP volunteers were protesting along with brooms outside BJP’s office when they were attacked with sticks and bricks by BJP workers. Police was present but remained mute spectator. Some AAP volunteers also retaliated and threw bricks. However, they were outnumbered by the BJP workers. Several passer-bys were also injured in the melee.

In Allahabad, a make-shift office of AAP in Civil Lines area was allegedly set afire by the BJP workers. Violence occurred after AAP volunteers burnt effigy of BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.

BJP leaders condemned violence and accused AAP volunteers of instigating violence.

AAP leaders accused BJP workers of restoring to violence and beating up their volunteers who were protesting peacefully. “We were protesting outside BJP’s office against detention of Arvind Kejriwal when BJP goons attacked our volunteers. The police remained a mute spectator.

This shows that SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and BJP’s PM candidate Narendra Modi are hand-in-glove,” said Aruna Singh, AAP’s Awadh Prant convener. She said that AAP will lodged a complaint with the police and court arrest. We would expose SP-BJP nexus in the lok sabha elections, she added.

Related Posts

• Is Narendra Modi ‘scared’ of contesting against Arvind Kejriwal, asks AAP
  Is Narendra Modi ‘scared’ of contesting against Arvind Kejriwal, asks AAP
• SP leader Atiq boasts of ’188 criminal cases’ in UP
  SP leader Atiq boasts of ’188 criminal cases’ in UP
• AAP receives boost for Chandni Chowk constituency with local Congress and BSP leaders joining the party.
  AAP receives boost for Chandni Chowk constituency with local Congress and BSP leaders joining the party.
• India’s Newest Political Party Takes the Fight to the Gandhi Heartland: TIME
  India’s Newest Political Party Takes the Fight to the Gandhi Heartland: TIME