A controversy broke out on Saturday after the Delhi Police denied permission to the Aam Aadmi Party to hold a public meeting which was slated to be addressed by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, his first in a series of 70 proposed rallies till April 30.
A controversy broke out on Saturday after the Delhi Police denied permission to the Aam Aadmi Party to hold a public meeting which was slated to be addressed by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, his first in a series of 70 proposed rallies till April 30.
The permission cell of the police rejected the party’s application on grounds that Shakur Basti, the venue for the rally, is “very congested”.
However, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh referred to Union Minister Harsh Vardhan’s March 4 rally at the same venue to contradict the police’s claims and decided to take up the matter with the Election Commission.
Kejriwal too took to Twitter to lodge his protest. “BJP gets my public rally cancelled today through the police. Police denies permission. How many BJP rallies were denied permission by police in Delhi in the last five years?,” he posted on the micro-blogging site.
He added, “BJP, concede that you have lost all the seven seats in Delhi. Modi ji reneged on his promise to grant full statehood to Delhi. Now, the people will speak.”
Singh also hit out at Delhi Police, which comes under the Ministry of Home Affairs, saying free and fair polls in the city cannot be ensured under its watch. “How many BJP rallies have been cancelled in the past on grounds of ‘congestion’? How could Dr Harsh Vardhan address a rally at the same spot?” he asked.
Delhi Police are yet to comment on the issue.
The permission cell of the police rejected the party’s application on grounds that Shakur Basti, the venue for the rally, is “very congested”.
However, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh referred to Union Minister Harsh Vardhan’s March 4 rally at the same venue to contradict the police’s claims and decided to take up the matter with the Election Commission.
Kejriwal too took to Twitter to lodge his protest. “BJP gets my public rally cancelled today through the police. Police denies permission. How many BJP rallies were denied permission by police in Delhi in the last five years?,” he posted on the micro-blogging site.
He added, “BJP, concede that you have lost all the seven seats in Delhi. Modi ji reneged on his promise to grant full statehood to Delhi. Now, the people will speak.”
Singh also hit out at Delhi Police, which comes under the Ministry of Home Affairs, saying free and fair polls in the city cannot be ensured under its watch. “How many BJP rallies have been cancelled in the past on grounds of ‘congestion’? How could Dr Harsh Vardhan address a rally at the same spot?” he asked.
Delhi Police are yet to comment on the issue.