'Jail Ka Jawab Vote Se': AAP workers detained for slogans at IPL match

Watch: 12 workers from the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP's) student wing raised slogans at an IPL match to protest Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's arrest

Delhi Police detained approximately 12 workers from the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP’s) student wing during an Indian Premier League (IPL) match between Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday. The workers were detained for raising slogans and wearing t-shirts with the tagline 'Jail Ka Jawab Vote Se'.

AAP has initiated a campaign called ‘Jail Ka Jawab Vote Se’ in response to the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case related to the excise policy. The campaign urges people to vote for the party as a reaction to the chief minister's arrest, who is currently in jail.

According to a senior police officer quoted by news agency PTI, the detainees were causing “public nuisance” in one of the stands at the stadium. The police personnel stated that the workers would be released after legal formalities, and spectators were encouraged to enjoy the game without engaging in such activities.

In an official statement, AAP mentioned that its student wing, Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti (CYSS), protested against what they termed as the "illegal arrest" of the Delhi Chief Minister during the IPL match. The students wore t-shirts with 'Jail Ka Jawab Vote Se' written on them and raised slogans against the BJP government.

AAP also shared a video of the sloganeering on its official social media account. The campaign song "Jail Ka Jawab Vote Se," presented in a rap style, was released at the party's headquarters in New Delhi last month. The song, written and composed by Dilip Pandey, an AAP MLA and the chief party whip in the Assembly, highlights the party's stance amid the ongoing political developments.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court pushed forward the verdict on Kejriwal's interim bail hearing to May 12, providing no relief to the chief minister. A separate Delhi court on the same day, extended Kejriwal's judicial custody to May 20.

The Lok Sabha elections for Delhi are slated for May 25, where all seven seats in the capital will go to polls in a single phase. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has secured all seven seats in the last two elections.