AAP workers indulged in riotous acts: Delhi Police

With no alternative left, police has to resort to usage of water cannons to disperse crowd

Delhi police has accused the Aam Aadmi Party protestors of indulging in "riotous acts and using criminal force" to prevent the police from discharging their duty over Wednesday's protest which turned violent outside BJP headquarters here.

According to the report submitted by the police, sub inspector Sunil Kumar along with force from Parliament street police station reached at BJP headquarters and found that around 50 AAP activists had assembled.

He tried to persuade and pacify the protestors to go back but the crowd continued shouting slogans and in a short duration, the number AAP protestors swelled to 150-200, said the report.

Following this, Assistant Commissiner of Police, Parliament street Anyesh Roy reached the spot with extra force during which the protestors had started climbing the wall and the main gate and tore off the hoardings outside.

"The assembly was declared unlawful on the PA system and they were asked to disperse but the crowd continued to indulge into riotous acts and stone pelting," the report stated.

With no alternative left, police has to resort to the usage of water cannons to disperse the crowd.

"The crowd further got aggressive and broke the glass panes of the vehicles, tore off the seats, broke the nozzle of the water after mounting over it. Further the unruly mob regrouped and moved towards the main gate of the BJP headquaters and started throwing sticks, stones upon few BJP workers assembled inside," the report said.

In the melee, the cars parked outside also got damaged.

With reinforcement, including senior officers of New Delhi Distrist, the crowd was controlled.

According to the report, 4 policemen, 16 AAP workers and 9 BJP workers and 1 media person suffered injuries during the scuffle and were taken to RML hospital.

In connection with this incident, 14 protestors were arrested and FIR registered on charges of rioting, assaulting or obstructing public servant from discharing his duty and on charges of causing damage to property.

Yesterday, Delhi's Chief electoral office served a notice to the AAP for alleged violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) over the violent protest outside BJP headquarters.

New Delhi's Deputy Commissioner and District Election Officer, Ameya Abhyankar had asked AAP to explain why action should not be initiated against it for holding a protest without permission from poll officials and in violation of the MCC, which came to force after the poll dates were announced.