Kejriwal, ministers protest police inaction

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal alongwith his cabinet colleagues Monday held a protest over alleged police inaction after they were prevented from reaching the union home ministry office at the Central Secretariat.

Kejriwal, who became the chief minister last month, and his cabinet colleagues wanted to protest, as planned earlier, outside the union home ministry office in North Block.

But his car was stopped right before Raisina Road, near Rail Bhavan in New Delhi, the seat of the central government.

Police officials tried to persuade the chief minister not to proceed ahead.

A police official said Kejriwal and his colleagues were barred from going ahead at least till noon since the Republic-Day Parade rehearsal was going on.

The Aam Aadmi Party has alleged that policemen did not cooperate with Delhi Law Minister Somnath Bharti during his vigilante-style raid Wednesday night and on Minister Rakhi Birla's complaint concerning "improper action" in a dowry case.

As the drama unfolded, Kejriwal was allowed to move ahead after noon.

However, he and his colleagues decided to begin their protest in a park off Raisina Road.

A posse of police personnel was deployed and there was a double layer of barricading on Rafi Marg and Raisina Road, which leads to North Block of the Central Secretariat.

The day began with Kejriwal and his ministers meeting at the Delhi Secretariat from where they left for North Block, ignoring the prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Indian Penal Code, that bars any gathering of five or more people.