AAP Claims Kejriwal's Movement Still 'Restricted', Delhi Police Denies Claim

The AAP on Wednesday, December 9, alleged that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's movement is still "restricted" and the main gate of his residence remains closed at the behest of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, a claim denied by the city police.

Police sources said the chief minister left his residence around 11 am to attend a programme.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had on Tuesday had alleged the Delhi Police put Kejriwal under house arrest after he met farmers protesting against the Centre's agriculture reform laws at the city's Singhu border. The protesting farmers had also called for a Bharat Bandh on Tuesday, which saw successful implementation and widespread support from various sections across the country.

However, a senior Delhi Police officer dismissed the claim as "totally baseless", adding that there is no restriction on any kind of movement of the chief minister.

"The police deployment outside the chief minister's residence is part of security protocol," he said.

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, AAP spokesperson Raghav Chadha said there is an atmosphere of "undeclared emergency" around the chief minister's residence.

"I am telling you with full responsibility that the movement of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is still restricted at the behest of the (Union) home minister. The main gate of the chief minister's residence is still closed," Chadha said.

"In a way, there is an atmosphere of undeclared emergency. All this, just because we did not allow the stadiums to be converted into prisons for farmers," he said.

Earlier on Tuesday, Kejriwal had come out of his residence after hours of drama outside to address the party workers. He had said the Centre tried its best to ensure that he did not step out and added that if he was not stopped, he would have gone and supported farmers in their Bharat Bandh.

Also read: Massive Support for Farmers’ Bharat Bandh, Govt Flounders

Kejriwal also claimed the Centre was "very angry" as his government did not allow Delhi stadiums to be used as prisons for farmers.

"We faced a lot of pressure to allow the use of stadiums as temporary prisons, but we did not give permission and I feel this helped the movement. But since then the Centre has been very angry," the chief minister said.

Notably, other political leaders including Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Subhasini Ali and Bhim Army leader Chandrashekhar Azad had also alleged similar restrictions with heavy police deployment outside their houses in UP on the day of Bharat Bandh (Tuesday).

Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, are protesting at various border points of the national capital against the new farm laws, which they allege are pro-corporate and anti-farmer.

The Centre's offer to amend the contentious laws has failed to cut ice with the protesting farmers, with negotiation talks failing the last five time. Farmers are demanding a complete repeal of the legislations. While a sixth round of talks between the Centre and farmer leaders over the farm laws were scheduled on Wednesday, the farmer leaders have refused to meet the Centre's representatives after the government offered to send a proposal on amendments.