NEW DELHI: As the ruling AAP and its principal opposition in Delhi, BJP, began to march towards each other’s offices in the national capital to hold protest, the cops, who were already present in large numbers, detained dozens of workers from both warring camps.
Confirming the detention, a police officer told this paper that among the detainees, 15 are from the AAP from 48 from the BJP
The AAP wanted to stage a protest against BJP alleging “cheating and fraud” in the Chandigarh Mayoral polls while the saffron clans were agitated over AAP supremo and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal not paying heed to back-to-back summons of the Enforcement Directorate.
As the Chandigarh civic cliffhanger enraged the AAP to its limits, the cops in the capital were apprehensive of a massive demonstration which could have led to a law and order situation. Subsequently, since Friday morning, the borders of Delhi, especially the northern side were adequately manned with barricades and heavy presence of police personnel.
Police sources told this paper that more than two dozen Aam Aadmi Party workers were detained at the Singhu border and taken away in a police van.
Central Delhi’s Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg, which houses both AAP and BJP offices, was heavily guarded by the cops with a presence of around 1,000 police personnel, including two companies of paramilitary force. Barricades blocked roads on both sides to prevent BJP or AAP workers going towards opposite sides.
However, when the frenzy mob of party workers from both sides attempted to break the cordon by climbing barricades but their attempts were thwarted by the cops and were subsequently detained.