100 AAP workers detained during protest at BJP office

New Delhi: Over 100 Aam Aadmi Party workers were detained by police as they demonstrated near the BJP office at DDU Marg, chanting anti-government slogans and demanding AAP MP Sanjay Singh’s immediate release on Thursday.

Prominent AAP leaders, including Atishi and Reena Gupta, joined the protests and criticised the BJP for allegedly misusing the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to silence opposition voices.

In a show of defiance, AAP organised widespread protests across the country against the arrest of its Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh. Singh faces allegations related to a corruption case linked to the Delhi excise policy for 2021-22. The party announced its intention to hold another protest outside the BJP headquarters to oppose Singh’s arrest.

During the demonstration, AAP members chanted slogans, including “ED-CBI, BJP ke Bhai (ED-CBI are brothers of the BJP),” and demanded the immediate release of Singh.

Gopal Rai, AAP Delhi Cabinet Minister, questioned the basis of Singh’s arrest, stating, “When nothing was found, why was he arrested without evidence? BJP is so anxious about losing in 2024 that they might arrest anyone at any time.”

Atishi expressed that Singh’s arrest reflects the BJP’s nervousness about the upcoming 2024 election. She highlighted the recent spate of authoritarian actions, including raids on journalists and the removal of a TMC MP from the ‘Krishi Bhavan,’ as indicators of an undeclared state of emergency.

Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann criticised the BJP-led government for using investigative agencies to intimidate opponents, saying, “It is Modi’s habit to ‘scare through the ED.’”

AAP leaders also accused the BJP of using investigative agencies like the ED and CBI as political weapons against the opposition.

Additionally, the arrest of Sanjay Singh triggered outrage among leaders of the opposition INDIA alliance, who expressed their solidarity with AAP.

Opposition parties also decried the arrest, with Congress leader Digvijaya Singh stating, “They have made ED their political weapon to silence the voice of a strong and emerging leader.”