AAP workers detained at Delhi border, Kejriwal claims attempt to stop protest

Aam Aadmi Party MLAs and volunteers coming to participate in the party's protest outside the BJP headquarters in Delhi against the "cheating" in the Chandigarh mayoral polls are being stopped or detained, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal alleged on Friday.

Delhi Police said they have detained 25 AAP workers coming from Punjab and Haryana at the Singhu border. A few others have been stopped. Police said they suspect the workers were headed to take part in today's protest, and assured they would be released after verification.

Security has been stepped-up in Central Delhi with police barricading several roads leading to the Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg and deploying additional personnel in view of the AAP demonstration as well as a protest by the BJP against "corruption" in the Kejriwal government.

The BJP will stage its protest near the AAP head office. The offices of both the parties are on the same road, a few hundred metres from each other.

"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 wrote that "across Delhi, they are detaining elected MLAs, councillors and volunteers, who were coming to the party office. What is going on?"

In a post on X, Delhi Minister and AAP leader Atishi said, "Heavy barricading all across Delhi. Buses full of AAP volunteers being detained. Hundreds of para-military forces outside the AAP office."

The BJP on Tuesday swept the Chandigarh mayoral polls, retaining all three posts of mayor, senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor, in a setback to the Congress-AAP alliance which has alleged tampering with ballot papers by the presiding officer.

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