Protesting AAP leaders detained

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday took out a 'parliament march' against a sealing drive in the city, leading to many party leaders being detained by police.

The AAP said the Delhi Police lathi-charged many party workers, including women.

The Delhi Police is under the jurisdiction of Lt Governor Anil Baijal with whom the AAP government has a rocky relationship.

Nagendar Sharma, Media Advisor to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, said that "Delhi Police personnel misbehaved" with AAP leaders Richa Pandey and Ashutosh, "who were leading a peaceful protest against BJP-sponsored sealing in different Delhi markets".

"Delhi Police resorts to unprovoked lathi-charge on elected MLAs and councillors protesting peacefully against BJP's sealing drive. Women manhandled," Sharma tweeted.

The sealing drive is being carried out by a Supreme Court-appointed Monitoring Committee against business establishments using residential properties for commercial purposes, and it is being implemented by the three BJP-led municipal corporations.

MLA and AAP Chief Spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj said that Ashutosh was "mercilessly beaten up" by the police.

Bharadwaj told reporters that the Bharatiya Janata Party was responsible for the sealing drive going on in the city for the past two months.

The Central government has to change Master Plan 2021 for Delhi to stop the sealing drive, Bharadwaj said.

"This is not sealing, this is killing" and "BJP came, brought back sealing" read some of the placards held by party workers during the march.

--IANS

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