Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal accuses BJP of doing ‘dirty politics’ over anti-CAA protest at Shaheen Bagh

Launching a direct attack on the BJP, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said that everyone has the right to protest and Union Home Ministry, which controls Delhi Police, does not want the closed road in Shaheen Bagh to be reopened.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday (January 27) slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for doing ‘dirty politics’ over the ongoing anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests at Shaheen Bagh.

Launching a direct attack on the BJP, Kejriwal said that everyone has the right to protest and Union Home Ministry, which controls Delhi Police, does not want the closed road in Shaheen Bagh to be reopened.

“People are facing problems due to closed road in Shaheen Bagh. I can give you this in writing, BJP does not want to open the route in Shaheen Bagh. The Shaheen Bagh stretch of the Kalindi Kunj road (where anti-CAA protests are going on) will remain closed till February 8 (election day) and it will open February 9,” claimed Kejriwal.

शाहीन बाग़ में बंद रास्ते की वजह से लोगों को परेशानी हो रही है। भाजपा नहीं चाहती कि रास्ते खुलें। भाजपा गंदी राजनीति कर रही है। भाजपा के नेताओं को तुरंत शाहीन बाग़ जाकर बात करनी चाहिए और रास्ता खुलवाना चाहिए। — Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) January 27, 2020

The AAP convenor asserted that maintaining law and order in Delhi is the job of BJP-led government at the Centre and ‘if they are saying that they need permission from me, I am giving them permission, open the road in one hour’. Kejriwal suggested that the BJP leaders should visit Shaheen Bagh and hold talks with the protesters in order to break the deadlock.

Kejriwal's statements comes after senior BJP leaders, including party president JP Nadda and Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad accused the AAP of supporting Shaheen Bagh protests in order to get Muslim votes. Nadda tweeted asking the Delhi CM ‘if acting against anti-nationals would hurt his vote bank’.

Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid and other anti-India forces raised seditious slogans like ‘Bharat tere tukde honge’ in JNU. They were threatening to violate India’s sovereignty. Law enforcement agencies moved in, investigated the matter and in Jan 2019 were ready to file chargesheet. — Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) January 27, 2020

“Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid and other anti-India forces raised seditious slogans like ‘Bharat tere tukde honge’ in JNU. They were threatening to violate India’s sovereignty. Law enforcement agencies moved in, investigated the matter and in Jan 2019 were ready to file chargesheet. They (police) sought Kejriwal’s permission to prosecute this ‘tukde tukde’ gang but one year later, till yesterday, no permission was granted. Kejriwal must tell Delhi why is he supporting those who want to break India? Is it because acting against these anti-nationals will hurt his vote bank,” he asked.