New Delhi: Several AAP leaders including minister Saurabh Bharadwaj and Atishi were detained on Friday, March 22, as the party staged a protest against the BJP over the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by the Enforcement Directorate in the excise policy case.

Aam Aadmi Party leaders and supporters are protesting at the ITO, near the AAP and BJP headquarters. Police officials were asking them to disperse as section 144 prohibiting gathering has been imposed in the area. The AAP supporters raised slogans against the BJP-led Centre government..

“We will state before the Supreme Court that Arvind Kejriwal should be allowed to meet his lawyer and family and also allowed to carry out his official work. Kejriwal's family has been put under house arrest,” said Saurabh Bharadwaj after he was detained by the Delhi Police. 

Following Kejriwal's arrest Thursday evening, the AAP had given a nationwide call for protest against the BJP. 

Security Tightened at ITO

“Section 144 is imposed on DD Marg because it is not a designated protest site. Section 144 is imposed because there are a lot of vital offices here,” said DCP Central M Harsh Vardhan. 

The police have erected barricades on the Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg - where the headquarters of both the parties are located - and blocked it for traffic. They have also raised a barricade on the road leading to the BJP office from the AAP headquarters, a stone's throw away from each other. They are also checking the ID cards of those entering the area.