Commuters had a harrowing time crossing the DDU Marg in Central Delhi as the ruling AAP and opposition BJP mounted demonstrations against each other, a few hundred metres apart, over allegations of rigging of Chandigarh polls and corruption in the city administration.
Police had a hard time containing thousands of men and women from both sides who milled around barricades, raising slogans and waving placards.
By 11 am, the Delhi BJP workers and leaders led by state president Virendra Sachdeva were gathered near Andhra Education Society school at ITO. Just a few hundred metres away, the AAP volunteers led by party national convener Arvind Kejriwal congregated at BJP headquarters on the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg.
Though police had beefed up security and raised barricades on and around the stretch, it proved difficult for them to control the protestors as they tried to remove the barricades to move ahead, that led to detention of many.
Each side rent the air with slogans like “Vote Chor BJP” and “Kejriwal Istifa Do.”
Motorists and other commuters had to go around a barricaded DDU Marg and negotiate a choked Minto Road, even as the crowd spilled into the nearby roads and lanes.
The BJP raised slogans demanding Kejriwal voluntarily present himself before the Enforcement Directorate if innocent, while AAP called BJP a “thief” and accused it of abusing the central agencies to lock up its rivals.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann reached the AAP office around 1 am to boost morale of the party volunteers who greeted them with loud cheers and slogans.
Kejriwal and Mann slammed the BJP over alleged rigging of Chandigarh mayoral polls held last week. The party volunteers started chanting “Gali Gali Mein Shor Hai, BJP Vote Chor Hai” after Kejriwal gave the slogan addressing the protesters.
Police detained dozens of protesters from both the parties when they tried to remove the barricades.
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Published: 02 Feb 2024, 10:24 PM IST