Delhi HC To Hear Kejriwal's Plea Challenging His Arrest Tomorrow; Water Cannons Used At BJP's Protest | Updates

The Aam Aadmi Party on Tuesday is likely to ‘gherao’ Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence and stage a protest against Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the excise policy scam case.

AAP leaders and party workers on Monday had changed the display pictures of their social media profiles with the one that shows Kejriwal behind bars to express solidarity with the party’s chief.

Protests from the party and its supporters continued in the national capital with the burning of effigies, candle march, etc.

DELHI HC TO HEAR ARVIND KEJRIWAL’S PETITION TOMORROW

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday will hear Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s plea challenging the “alleged illegal arrest” made by the Enforcement Directorate.

The plea also challenges the order dated March 22 by which the court sent him to ED’s custody for seven days.

A HC bench headed by Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma will heard Kejriwal’s petition.

DELHI BJP PRESIDENT DETAINED DURING PROTEST

Police detained Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva amid the party’s protest demanding resignation of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.

Delhi Police used water cannons at the party workers marching towards the Secretariat during the protest.

BJP HOLDS PROTEST SEEKING KEJRIWAL’S RESIGNATION

While AAP is protesting against Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest at Patel Chowk, the BJP is protesting at ITO demanding the Delhi CM’s resignation.

State BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said, “The CM of Delhi is corrupt and dishonest and he has looted the people of Delhi. We are going to the Secretariat to demand his resignation…”

“The government is not running from the jail. Just like AAP’s character, the orders are also fake… Arvind Kejriwal has to resign…,” he added.

While BJP MP Manoj Tiwari took a jibe at Kejriwal’s order from ED custody regarding water supply and sewer facilities and said, “After being arrested, it is now that Kejriwal has remembered that they could not provide water and sewer facilities to the people of Delhi…”

“They are doing press conferences that they could not provide medicines in the hospitals. They have accepted today that they have put Delhi into a plight in last 9-10 years…,” Tiwari told news agency ANI.

SUNITA KEJRIWAL TO TAKE PART IN INDIA BLOC’S MARCH 31 RALLY

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s wife Sunita will be present at the INDIA bloc’s protest against the AAP chief’s arrest at Ram Leela Maidan on March 31.

AAP PROTESTS OUTSIDE PATEL CHOWK METRO STATION; PUNJAB MINISTER DETAINED

Aam Aadmi Party leaders and party workers are protesting against CM Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest outside the Patel Chowk metro station amid heavy security arrangements.

Police made announcements that Section 144 had been imposed and asked the agitators to clear the within five minutes.

However, the party leaders and workers continued with their protest, following which AAP leader and Punjab Minister Harjot Singh Bains was detained by the Delhi Police. Senior party leader Somnath Bharti was also detained.

Taking to X, Bharti wrote, “The BJP-led central government is targeting everyone who is honest so that it can save the corrupt.”

ARVIND KEJRIWAL ISSUES 2ND ORDER FROM ED CUSTODY

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday issued his second order from inside the Enforcement Directorate’s custody.

Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj — addressing a press conference — said that CM Arvind Kejriwal has taken note of the unavailability of hospitals and mohalla clinics in several areas. He added that many of these clinics, if available, are not able to conduct free tests for the people.

“He wants to ensure that the poor get free medicine, who unlike the middle class cannot afford to buy them,” Bharadwaj said.

Kejriwal has asked the Health Minister to “ensure free tests be done in mohalla clinics and that medicines are available to provide in hospitals and clincis”.

“I would like to tell you on behalf of the CM that he is concerned about you. CM’s orders are like God’s instructions and we will comply with it,” Bharadwaj added.

Notably, the Health minister did not clarify as to how did he receive the orders from Kejriwal.

DELHI POLICE BEEFS UP SECURITY AHEAD OF ‘GHERAO’ PROTEST

Ahead of AAP’s ‘gherao’ protest call against the arrest of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, the police has tightened security at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence.

Security has also been beefed up in several other parts of the national capital. A Delhi Traffic Police official said that movement in parts of New and Central Delhi is likely to be affected due to the protest.

“Section 144 (of the CrPC) is already imposed around the prime minister’s residence and no one will be allowed to protest,” the Delhi Police officer said.

AAP LIKELY TO PROTEST OUTSIDE PM MODI’S RESIDENCE, BJP READY WITH COUNTER-PROTEST

The Arvind Kejriwal led-AAP is likely to protest against the Delhi CM’s arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in the excise policy case.

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party has also planned a mega march in the national capital on Tuesday, which will be led by the party’s Delhi chief Virendra Sachdeva. It will start from Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium and conclude at the Delhi Secretariat, NDTV reported.

AAP STARTS SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN

AAP leaders and party workers on Monday kickstarted a social media campaign by changing the display picture of their social media profiles. The picture, which shows Arvind Kejriwal behind bars, is an expression of solidarity from the party workers to him.

These pictures have the caption, “Modi ka Sabse Bada Dar Kejriwal (Modi’s biggest fear, Kejriwal)”.

The party urged people to extend their support for saving the constitution and democracy in the nation.

AAP minister Atishi said that since Kejriwal was the only leader who could challenge the prime minister, the ED arrested him without any evidence right after the schedule of the Lok Sabha elections being announced. She also claimed that the probe agency could not produce any evidence against the Delhi CM despite its two-year-long probe into the alleged excise policy scam.

AAP TO HOLD ‘MAIN BHI KEJRIWAL’ CAMPAIGN

The Aam Aadmi Party will hold a ‘Main Bhi Kejriwal’ campaign and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal will not resign from his post, the party decided during a meeting on Sunday.

This was AAP’s first major meeting after Kejriwal’s arrest and it was chaired by AAP national general secretary (organisation) Dr Sandeep Pathak.

Pathak said that the ‘Main Bhi Kejriwal’ will start soon under which stickers will be pasted outside houses and on auto-rickshaws, adding that hoardings will also be put up.

Those attending the INDIA bloc’s rally on March 31, should come with the Main Bhi Kejriwal stickers pasted on their vehicles, Pathak said.

He added that he had received an order from Kejriwal to hold a rally on March 31 and that the party will ensure that it turns out successful.

ED TO LOOK INTO KEJRIWAL’S 1ST ORDER FROM CUSTODY

The Enforcement Directorate on Monday took cognisance of the first order issued by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal from the agency’s custody to initiate public welfare works related to the water department.

The federal agency said that it will initiate a probe to ascertain whether the directions were in line with the special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court’s order issued to the ED and the CM during his custody period.

Remanding Kejriwal in ED custody till March 28, the court had allowed his wife Sunita Kejriwal and personal assistant Bibhav Kumar to meet him every day for half an hour between 6 and 7 pm, apart from his lawyers for another half hour.

Reportedly, it was said that neither any computer not paper was given to Arvind Kejriwal from the ED headquarters.

(With PTI inputs)