Delhi Minister Gopal Rai said all party MLAs, office-bearers will gather at Shaheedi Park to protest against the BJP – which the Aam Aadmi Party alleges is misusing central agencies to target the opposition leaders. Representatives of the INDIA bloc will also take part in the protest that will see candle marches as well as the burning of effigies.
Security has been increased along the roads leading to Shaheedi Park as the police prepare for the huge protest. Traffic may also be hit in parts of central Delhi due to heavy barricading, officials said.
Some AAP supporters also gathered near the ITO foot over bridge holding huge banners that said “main bhi Kejriwal (I’m also Kejriwal)”. Party workers will not celebrate Holi tomorrow, they said, and called for a “gherao” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence on Tuesday.
AAP ministers Atishi, Saurabh Bharadwaj and several party workers were detained on Friday while protesting against the BJP over the chief minister’s arrest.
The AAP has insisted that Mr Kejriwal will remain the chief minister of Delhi, even if it meant functioning from inside the jail.
In a message from jail – which was read out by his wife Sunita Kejriwal, the Delhi Chief Minister has urged everyone to continue working for the society and not hate anyone, even those from the ruling BJP.
“There are several forces within and outside India that are weakening the country. There is no jail that can keep him behind bars for long. I will come out soon and keep my promises,” the Delhi Chief Minister added in his message.
The Delhi High Court will take up Arvind Kejriwal’s request on Wednesday in which he has challenged his arrest as well as a lower court’s order granting the ED his custody for seven days.
The Aam Aadmi Party chief was arrested on Thursday and, the next day, the Rouse Avenue court in Delhi had remanded him in the Probe Agency’s custody till March 28.
The central agency has accused the AAP leader of being a “conspirator”. The ED believes the now-scrapped policy provided an impossibly high profit margin of nearly 185 per cent for retailers and 12 per cent for wholesalers.