AAP’s Latest Protest Against Arvind Kejriwal Arrest: Mass Fasting Across India

1. AAP leader Gopal Rai said that Arvind Kejriwal’s supporters across India and abroad are participating in party’s ‘samuhik upwaas’. 

2. All AAP MLAs, office-bearers have gathered at the Jantar Mantar for the day-long fast. Security has been increased along the roads leading to the protest site, officials said, adding that traffic may also be hit in parts of central Delhi due to heavy barricading.

3. The Aam Aadmi Party had last month called for a ‘gherao’ of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence. Several AAP leaders and workers – including women – were seen being shoved and dragged into the buses in which they were taken to various police stations in the national capital during the protest.

4. The AAP has hit out at the BJP over the timing of the arrest, alleging that it was trying to prevent Mr Kejriwal from campaigning for the upcoming Lok Sabha election. AAP ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj have said the Chief Minister is issuing orders from the ED’s lock-up and assured Delhi residents that the Chief Minister is constantly thinking about their well-being.

5. AAP has maintained that there will be no change in the leadership, even if that means Mr Kerjriwal functions as the Chief Minister from the prison. The BJP., meanwhile, has termed Mr Kejriwal’s “work from jail plan” a sham.

6. Mr Kejriwal’s arrest has also brought together the Opposition bloc, which was making more headlines recently over its differences than its unity.

7. In a show of strength, the INDIA alliance held a mega rally in Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan last Sunday, accusing the BJP of decimating the Opposition through the Central investigative agencies.

8. Mr Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 in the alleged liquor policy scam after he skipped nine central agency summons, and has been running his government from the ED lock-up since then.

9. The central agency has accused the AAP leader of being a “conspirator”. The ED believes the now-scrapped policy provided a high profit margin and bribe money was allegedly used to fund the AAP’s election campaigns.

10. AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, and Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader K Kavitha have been arrested in this connection. The Opposition leaders have denied the allegations and accused the BJP-led central government of using probe agencies such as ED and CBI for political motives.

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