After the alleged detention of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers, who were on their way to protest against the disputed Chandigarh mayoral polls, Delhi minister and AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj said the BJP committed ‘fraud’ in the elections.
The AAP erupted in protest after the presiding officer declared the BJP nominee the winner after 8 votes were ruled invalid.
Speaking to ANI on Friday, the AAP leader said, “The nation saw how the BJP committed fraud in the Chandigarh mayoral polls. Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann are leading a peaceful protest at the BJP office today. However, ahead of this protest, our MLAs, councillors and party workers were detained at various places across Delhi. Is the BJP so scared of Arvind Kejriwal that they are not even letting this protest take place?”
Also, hitting out at the BJP-led Centre for the alleged detention of an AAP MLA from Gandhinagar, Bharadwaj said, “He is our elected representative from Gandhinagar. Is there an undeclared emergency in the country now? Can’t we even hold a peaceful protest?”
Earlier. fellow party leader and minister Atishi, too, launched a blistering attack on the BJP over the alleged detention of AAP workers ahead of the scheduled protest in the national capital.
“There was brazen fraud in the Chandigarh mayoral elections. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann are holding a peaceful protest over this issue in Delhi today. However, before the workers could even reach the protest site, police barricades were put up all over the city. Our MLAs were placed under house arrest and party workers were detained. Why is the BJP so scared?” the AAP leader asked.
She claimed that busloads of AAP volunteers were detained outside the party office.
“Heavy barricades all across Delhi, buses full of AAP volunteers being detained, hundreds of paramilitary forces outside the AAP party office–why is the BJP so scared of a protest on the Chandigarh mayor elections?” Atishi posted from her official X handle.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, too, weighed in on the events, claiming that cadre arriving at the protest site were stopped at various places across the national capital.
“All across Delhi, they are detaining elected MLAs, councillors and volunteers who were coming to the party office. What is this going on?” CM Kejriwal posted from his X handle.
“Stolen votes in the first Chandigarh Mayor election. Now the people coming to protest peacefully against this are being stopped at various places across Delhi,” Kejriwal added in his post.
Also wading into the alleged police crackdown on the party supporters and the fresh ED summons to CM Kejriwal in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case, AAP spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar said, “The Constitution gives us the right to protest. Today, our party leaders are being stopped illegally. Where does BJP get the permission for this? The fresh ED summons (to Kejriwal) came at the BJP’s behest. We will decide our course of action once the summons is sent properly.”
The AAP and the Congress, which put up a joint candidate, moved the Supreme Court challenging the outcome of the mayoral polls.
CM Mann, too, called the polls “a murder of democracy.”
Earlier, there was a rift between the protestors and the police at the spot.
Youth Congress workers were heard chanting the slogan ‘Bhrastachar band karo’ (Stop the corruption).
However, the police detained the protestors after a while.
A hearing was also held on January 31 in the Punjab Haryana High Court on a plea claiming foul play during the mayoral elections.
During the hearing in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Kuldeep Kumar, the mayoral candidate of the AAP and Congress, was represented by the Advocate General of Punjab, Gurminder Gary.
Advocate Anil Mehta represented the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation in the matter.
BJP nominee Manoj Sonkar was declared the Chandigarh Mayor on Tuesday after he won the mayoral polls with 16 votes against the 12 votes bagged by Congress-AAP candidate Kuldeep Tita.
The rendering of 8 votes as invalid led Opposition leaders to allege rigging. (ANI)
