Arvind Kejriwal, the chief of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), is gearing up to lead a protest at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) headquarters in Delhi on Sunday. He accused the ruling party of systematically targeting and arresting AAP leaders amidst the escalating tensions between the two political factions.
In a video message that was released on Aam Aadmi Party’s official account on X, on Saturday, Kejriwal announced his plan to march to the BJP headquarters alongside senior party leaders. He challenged the BJP and dared them to arrest all of the AAP leaders at once if they wished to continue their pattern of targeting AAP members.
प्रधानमंत्री जी, आप हम सभी को एक-एक करके क्यों जेल में डाल रहे हो?
हम सभी कल दोपहर 12 बजे CM @ArvindKejriwal जी के नेतृत्व में BJP मुख्यालय आ रहे हैं।
आप वहां जिसे चाहे गिरफ्तार कर सकते हैं। pic.twitter.com/OzU8rMOFsQ
— Aam Aadmi Party Delhi (@AAPDelhi) May 18, 2024
Kejriwal expressed his frustration and highlighted the series of arrests of AAP leaders, including the recent detention of his personal secretary, Bibhav Kumar, in connection with the Swati Maliwal assault case. The Chief Minister took the opportunity to accuse the BJP of plotting and orchestrating a strategy to systematically incarcerate AAP leaders, labeling it as a ploy to destabilize the party ahead of elections.
Raghav Chadha, an AAP Rajya Sabha MP, along with Delhi Ministers Saurabh Bhardwaj and Atishi, are some of the names among many that Kejriwal claims are being unfairly targeted by the BJP.
The arrest of Bibhav Kumar, allegedly involved in the assault of Swati Maliwal, has sparked a controversy, with both parties engaging in a heated blame game. Maliwal, also a Rajya Sabha MP, recently accused Kumar of assaulting her in the Chief Minister’s residence, fueling a sharp exchange of accusations between the two parties.
Kejriwal was recently released by the Supreme Court of India on interim bail is in a separate case related to the liquor policy. He has taken the bail period as an opportunity to conduct several rallies across the nation to garner support for the party as well as the INDIA bloc. Amidst the current political scenario, Kejriwal rallied his party members against what he believes to be a systematic suppression of AAP leadership by the Bharatiya Janata Party. AAP contends that BJP coerced Maliwal into implicating Kumar, citing a CCTV footage purportedly showing Maliwal leaving the Chief Minister’s residence escorted by security personnel.
In response, the Delhi BJP has refuted AAP’s claims, denouncing them as an attempt to tarnish Maliwal’s reputation by circulating “edited” videos. BJP leaders have insinuated that Kumar’s arrest could expose unsavory aspects of AAP’s politics, promising revelations that may further fuel the ongoing political spat.
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