Delhi: AAP's Raghav Chaddha, Sanjay Singh, Saurabh Bhardwaj Detained For Protesting CBI Summon To Kejriwal - Watch

Top leaders of the AAP, including Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, Delhi ministers Saurabh Bharadwaj, Atishi and Kailash Gahlot, and Rajya Sabha MPs Sandeep Pathak, Raghav Chadha and Sanjay Singh, gathered near the federal agency's headquarters and raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi as Arvind Kejriwal's questioning was underway.

Image credit: IANS

New Delhi: Delhi police on Sunday detained senior leaders of Aam Aadami Party (AAP) including Raghav Chadha, Sanjay Singh and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann who were protesting near CBI office in the national capital against the investigation agency's summon to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

The Aam Aadmi Party took to the streets in Delhi on Sunday against the CBI for summoning Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for interrogation in connection with the excise policy case.

Top leaders of the party, including Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Delhi ministers Saurabh Bharadwaj, Atishi and Kailash Gahlot, and Rajya Sabha MPs Sandeep Pathak, Raghav Chadha and Sanjay Singh, gathered near the federal agency's headquarters and raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi as Kejriwal's questioning was underway.

According to new agecny PTI, addressing a press conference, AAP Delhi convener Gopal Rai claimed that around 1,500 people have been detained by police and several MLAs and councillors "arrested" across the national capital for staging protests against the CBI summons to the chief minister.

"The central government is conspiring to arrest Kejriwal. Several people even took the streets and protested against the CBI across the city. Heavy security was deployed and many people who came out in support of Arvind Kejriwal were detained," he said.

"Around 1,500 people have been detained or arrested by police across Delhi for staging protests. Thirty-two Delhi MLAs and 70 councillors have been arrested in the city and 20 Punjab AAP MLAs have been arrested at Delhi border," PTI quoted Rai.

"Leaders including Sanjeev Jha, Kuldeep Kumar, Praveen Kumar, Jarnail Singh, Rituraj Jha, Naresh Yadav, Gulab Singh Yadav, Somnath Bharti, Girish Soni, Amanatullah Khan and Shiv Charan Goel were arrested in Delhi," he added.

#WATCH | Aam Aadmi Party leaders including Raghav Chadha, Sanjay Singh and others detained by Delhi Police for protesting near CBI office in Delhi.

Delhi CM and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal is currently being questioned by CBI in connection with liquor scam case. pic.twitter.com/MPVRczIfa8 — ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2023

Meanwhile, CBI is questioning the AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal in the excise policy case. Manish Sisodia, Kejriwal's former deputy in the Delhi government, was arrested last month in the case.

It is alleged that the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22 to grant licences to liquor traders favoured certain dealers who had allegedly paid bribes for it, a charge strongly refuted by the AAP. The policy was later scrapped.

Security was stepped up at the CBI headquarters with the Delhi Police putting in place four rings of barricading to prevent protests by the Aam Admi Party leaders and supporters.

As per PTI report, over 1,000 security personnel, including from paramilitary forces, have been deployed outside the CBI headquarters and section 144 of the CrPC has also been imposed in the area to ensure no gathering of more than four persons takes place.

Security has also been tightened outside the office of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) at Rouse Avenue,reported PTI. Barricades have also been placed on streets at both these places -- AAP office and CBI headquarters -- to ensure the party's workers and supporters do not create any trouble, a senior police official said.

CBI officials have said they asked Kejriwal to appear on a Sunday as the offices in the area remain closed. It had adopted the same strategy when Sisodia was called at the agency's headquarters, where he was grilled for eight hours before being taken into custody.