Clad in yellow T-shirts and sporting “Kejriwal” masks, AAP MLAs arrived at the Delhi Assembly on Wednesday to mark their protest against the party supremo’s arrest by the ED in an excise policy-linked money-laundering case.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders, including Delhi ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj, symbolically took their social media campaign to the Assembly as they came dressed in yellow T-shirts with slogans, such as “Mai bhi Kejriwal” printed on those.
आज दिल्ली विधान सभा में, तानाशाही के ख़िलाफ़, लोकतंत्र को बचाने की इस जंग में, अब @AamAadmiParty का हर विधायक @ArvindKejriwal है। pic.twitter.com/C1yubpSAAl
— Atishi (@AtishiAAP) March 27, 2024
“All AAP MLAs are protesting against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s illegal arrest. Efforts are being made to do away with democracy in the country. For the first time in India’s history, a sitting chief minister has been arrested and that too just before the national (Lok Sabha) election,” Atishi told reporters during the protest.
The AAP launched a social media campaign on Monday, with its leaders changing their display pictures to one depicting Kejriwal behind bars, along with the caption — “Modi ka sabse bada dar Kejriwal (Kejriwal is Modi’s biggest fear)”.
As the Assembly proceedings began on Wednesday, AAP leaders entered the Well of the House demanding Arvind Kejriwal’s release from the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) custody.
The House was adjourned till April 1 amid the sloganeering.
Earlier in the day, the AAP leaders gathered outside the Assembly and demanded the release of their party supremo.
After the Assembly proceedings were adjourned, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, led by the party’s Delhi unit chief Virendra Sachdeva, staged a counter-protest outside the House, calling for Arvind Kejriwal’s resignation.
The BJP MLAs and workers gathered at the Assembly premises carrying placards with slogans demanding Arvind Kejriwal’s resignation. They were later detained by police.
Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21 in connection with the money-laundering case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy. A court here has remanded him in the federal agency’s custody till March 28.
The Chief Minister has challenged his arrest in court.
