Delhi: AAP Leader Saurabh Bhardwaj Detained By Cops While Protesting To Reinstate Bus Marshals

AAP's Saurabh Bharadwaj was detained by police on Thursday while protesting at Chandgiram Akhara in Delhi, demanding the reinstatement of marshals in buses.

File Photo of Delhi Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj. (ANI)

New Delhi: Delhi Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Saurabh Bharadwaj and other party members were detained by police on Thursday while protesting at Chandgiram Akhara in Delhi, demanding the reinstatement of marshals in buses.

While being detained, Saurabh Bhardwaj said, "We are with the bus marshals. They are poor. They have been removed as part of a conspiracy. Arvind Kejriwal will get them reinstated." The bus marshals have been protesting for getting reinstated after Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena terminated their services in October last year.

Earlier in the day, Saurabh Bharadwaj, joining the protest, said that they are waiting for BJP to join them in holding discussion with the LG on the issue. Speaking to ANI, he said, "We are not here to fight. On 26th September, it was decided at the Delhi Assembly that on October 3rd, all MLAs and Ministers of AAP and BJP would go to meet (Delhi) LG and we would sign whichever paper we were asked to sign and they (bus marshals) would be appointed. We have come here today and we are waiting for BJP."

The AAP official handle on X also posted about the protest and demanded LG VK Saxena to reinstate the bus marshals. "Aam Aadmi Party MLAs have joined the protest of Bus Marshals and supported the demand for their reinstatement. LG sahab should reinstate these bus marshals soon so that they can also celebrate the festival happily with their children and family," the AAP stated.

Last month, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, who was a cabinet minister at that time, wrote a letter to Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) VK Saxena, requesting him to restore the jobs of bus marshals.
In her letter addressed to LG Saxena on Wednesday, Atishi said, "These Bus Marshals were primarily deployed through the pool of Civil Defence volunteers of Government of NCT of Delhi.

Surprisingly, 8 years after the implementation of this scheme and its successful functioning, in a completely unforeseen move, their salaries were suddenly stopped on your orders. Their callout duties were ended on frivolous grounds, thus putting the Bus Marshal Scheme in a limbo.'