New Delhi: As many as 21 workers and leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), including Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj who were detained during their protest against the arrest of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday, have been released, officials said.
The workers were released from Bawana Police Station hours after their detention. The AAP workers were detained from the ITO area, the officials added.
Raising slogans "Arvind tum sangharsh karo, hum tumhare sath hain" and "tyranny won't last", hundreds of AAP leaders and workers on Friday hit the streets to protest against the BJP over Kejriwal's arrest, with AAP ministers Atishi, Saurabh Bharadwaj and others being detained.
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The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case on Thursday evening.
Several protestors were bundled into buses as they gathered at the ITO intersection around 10.30 am to proceed towards the BJP office on the DDU Marg.
Paramilitary personnel in anti-riot gear were also deployed to maintain law and order.
Many AAP workers lay down on the road to resist the police's attempts to detain them. Women police personnel were seen dragging female protesters, many of whom were demonstrating carrying pictures of Kejriwal.
As Delhi cabinet ministers Atishi, Bharadwaj and others tried to proceed towards the BJP headquarters around 11 am, they were taken away in police buses.
The Rouse Avenue Court, however, remanded Kejriwal to ED custody till March 28. The agency had sought 10 days of remand.
After the court's decision, Atishi said that the party would explore all possible legal routes for further actions.
"We, very respectfully and humbly disagree with the decision of the court. ED has no proof even after 2 years of investigation... ED forced their witnesses to give statements against Arvind Kejriwal... We will explore all possible legal routes... One by one opposition parties are being targetted in front of the judiciary... Arvind Kejriwarl will always be the CM of Delhi. There is no Constitutional bar on him not being the CM. He has not been convicted till now," she said.
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Earlier in the day, AAP leaders alleged that they were stopped by the Police to meet the family members of the Delhi CM.
Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi alleged that the party leaders who marched towards the residence of Delhi CM Kejriwal in the Civil Lines area were stopped and denied meeting Kejriwal's family.
"We have come to meet Arvind Kejriwal's family but police and administration are not allowing us to go inside. Democracy can't be murdered like this and we can't be stopped from raising our voices. The people of Delhi are with Arvind Kejriwal," Oberoi told ANI.
Later, selected AAP MLAs, Chief Whip Dilip K. Pandey, Mayor Shelly Oberoi, Cabinet Ministers Imran Hussain and Raaj Kumar Anand, were allowed to enter the residence of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.
