The AAP will not celebrate Holi this year and will gherao the prime minister's residence on March 26 to register its protest against Arvind Kejriwal's arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the party's Delhi convenor Gopal Rai said on Friday.
Addressing a press conference here, Rai alleged that MLAs and councillors of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) were stopped from meeting the family members of the Delhi chief minister, who was arrested by the ED in an excise policy-linked money-laundering case on Thursday.
#WATCH | AAP leader & Delhi minister Gopal Rai says, "Today the INDIA alliance leaders have met the EC... and requested for action on this (arrest of Arvind Kejriwal)...This year the Holi programme won't take place. On 25 March we will go to people and tell them what is happening… pic.twitter.com/EzteH1VEMO
— ANI (@ANI) March 22, 2024
"Workers and leaders were detained throughout the day. The whole country is sad and angered by Kejriwal's arrest. At 10 am on Saturday, all AAP MLAs, councillors, office-bearers, INDIA bloc representatives will take a pledge to save democracy. We will gather at the Shaheedi Park on Saturday, the martyrdrom day of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev," the Delhi minister said.
He added that Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will also attend the programme.
"On March 24, effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be burnt in all Assembly constituencies. On the day of Holi on March 25, we will not organise any programme and on March 26, we will gherao the prime minister's residence," Rai said.
He said a joint movement against the AAP national convenor's arrest will be announced soon after discussions among the INDIA bloc constituents.
A betrayal with people of Delhi, says CM Kejriwal's wife on his arrest
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's wife Sunita Kejriwal on Friday said his arrest was a betrayal with the people of Delhi, and lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Kejriwal, the AAP national convenor, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday night in connection with an excise policy-linked money laundering case.
In a post in Hindi on X, Sunita Kejriwal said, "Modi-ji got your thrice-elected chief minister arrested due to his arrogance of power and is trying to crush everyone. This is a betrayal with the people of Delhi. Your chief minister has always stood with you. Whether inside (jail) or outside, his life is dedicated to the country. The public is supreme and knows everything. Jai Hind."
The ED has produced Kejriwal in a court and sought his 10-day custody. The court's order is awaited.
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