Rai unveiled a four-day protest plan, starting with a protest on Saturday (March 23) at ITO’s Shaheedi Park, where Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann will also participate. He mentioned, “Tomorrow, the Shaheedi diwas of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru… they sacrificed their life for the country… marking the day, on March 23, we will hold a protest outside at Shaheedi park, ITO.”
On March 24, Rai said effigies of PM Modi would be burned across the city. He further added that on March 25, the party leaders would not celebrate Holi and “will go door to door and meet people, tell them about the BJP’s action.”
Rai criticized the arrest, stating, “Arresting a CM after the implementation of the Model Code of Conduct is against the code.” The Model Code of Conduct came into effect on March 16, with the announcement of the Lok Sabha election schedule by the Election Commission.
He accused the BJP of using fake cases and illegal raids to topple opposition parties, saying, “The country is seeing the electoral bond corruption. If Kejriwal would have been outside, he would have raised the matter. That is why they have put him in jail.”
Rai also expressed concern over the security of Kejriwal, who has Z-plus security. “Now that he has been arrested, who is responsible for his security? This is a major concern for Aam Aadmi Party and all of us. The govt must share what arrangements have been made to ensure his security,” he said.AAP is preparing to turn the protest against Kejriwal’s arrest into a “nationwide movement.” AAP’s Delhi state convener Gopal Rai said a “people’s movement” would start from Delhi’s Shaheedi Park on Saturday, where Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann along with all the party’s MLAs, municipal councillors, and office-bearers would come together to burn effigies of PM Narendra Modi. AAP’s partners in the INDIA bloc would join the party in the protest.He alleged that the party office was sealed when people from all over Delhi came to the streets to protest against the “fraudulent” arrest of Kejriwal. “This is the first time in history that officials of a party were denied entry into their own office. They detained various AAP ministers and volunteers throughout the day to suppress our voices,” Rai said.
AAP national general secretary (organisation) and Rajya Sabha member Sandeep Pathak said BJP was “murdering democracy” by “illegally arresting” opposition leaders before the elections.
“There is an undeclared emergency-like situation in the country today. PM Modi and the BJP are doing everything to eliminate opposition parties. They (BJP) are either putting the opposition leaders in jail or threatening them to join the BJP,” Pathak said.
Senior AAP leader and Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj claimed that even the “international community is appalled” by actions of central govt.
Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann met the family later in the day. He will remain in the capital and participate in protests along with the Delhi leadership.
(With inputs from TOI)
