Delhi Police on Monday detained senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders, including Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh and Saurabh Bhardwaj, following a scuffle between party workers and security personnel near Janpath Metro station in central Delhi.
Security was tightened across the area, with additional paramilitary personnel deployed and barricades erected at key intersections to prevent further escalation.
As police personnel escorted him into a police vehicle, Bhardwaj raised slogans against the Central government, accusing it of misusing power. AAP leaders and protesters also raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and objected to the police action. Some leaders engaged in heated exchanges with police personnel, alleging that they had been manhandled during the detention.
Following the confrontation, police began detaining protesting leaders and taking them away in police buses.
Tensions had escalated earlier after a large number of AAP workers and leaders, who were marching in protest, were stopped by police barricades in central Delhi. The situation turned tense when some party workers attempted to cross the barricades, resulting in jostling and a confrontation with security personnel.
The developments came amid a march by opposition INDIA bloc MPs towards the Supreme Court over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process and demands for action against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
Earlier in the day, the INDIA bloc delegation reached the Barakhamba Road intersection as it proceeded towards the apex court to submit a petition on the alleged irregularities.
Led by Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, the delegation included former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and leaders of the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M). The opposition parties said they would seek the CEC's resignation and submit a petition to the Supreme Court.
Congress leader Sachin Pilot said, "The entire country is on the streets today. Under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress workers from across the country have gathered here. All of us have just one demand: for the Supreme Court to hear us. What the CEC did is illegal and unconstitutional. He will have to resign from his post. The proof of 'vote chori' produced by us proves that we will have to fight the battle to save democracy in this country. We want to speak peacefully, in a Gandhian manner. But the police are beating up the youth. Leaders are being jailed. This is wrong. I think the Supreme Court must hear us so that the correct measures can be taken. CEC has no right to continue in the position...This Govt is pushing forward Police to protect itself."
Samajwadi Party MP Anand Bhadoriya said, "The march is being led to the Supreme Court to demand the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner and that action be taken to send him to jail. This struggle and protest will continue until he resigns and is sent to jail."