AAP MLAs, Volunteers Detained Ahead of Protest Against Chandigarh Mayoral Polls, Says Arvind Kejriwal

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) members, including MLAs and volunteers, faced detention today as they attempted to gather for a protest against alleged "cheating" in the Chandigarh mayoral polls. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal accused authorities of stopping and detaining individuals on their way to the party headquarters, where the protest was scheduled to begin at 11 am.

पहले चंडीगढ़ मेयर चुनाव में वोट चोरी किए।

अब इसके ख़िलाफ़ शांतिपूर्ण प्रदर्शन करने आ रही जनता को जगह जगह दिल्ली भर में रोका जा रहा है https://t.co/PsZpGAcNS8

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) February 2, 2024

Security measures have been heightened in Central Delhi, with police erecting barricades on several roads leading to the Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg and deploying additional personnel in anticipation of both the AAP's demonstration and a protest by the BJP against purported corruption in the Kejriwal government. The BJP plans to stage its protest near the AAP head office. Both party offices are situated on the same road, mere hundreds of meters apart.

First votes were stolen in the Chandigarh mayoral elections. Now, people coming to protest peacefully against this are being stopped at various places across Delhi, Kejriwal said in a post on X, ahead of the demonstration scheduled to begin at 11 am. In another post, he said that across Delhi, they are detaining elected MLAs, councillors and volunteers, who were coming to the party office. What is this going on? he asked.

Officials said roads leading to the Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg have been closed since morning and barricades have been set up near the headquarters of the BJP and the AAP.