As Aam Admi Party supremo and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday departed from New Delhi railway station to campaign for the party in Punjab, he was met with protests by workers of BJP’s women wing.
Police officers were seen frantically scrambling around him to provide him with security cover as BJP women workers pushed past them to get a statement. They demanded the chief minister to speak on allegations of party leaders ‘exploiting’ women in return for party tickets in Punjab and the controversy surrounding the blog post of AAP leader Ashutosh on the Sandeep Kumar sex scandal. Kumar, who was a minister in the Delhi cabinet, was removed from the party.
After the entire incident, AAP leader Sanjay Singh leveled allegations against BJP by saying that the protest at the railway station was a ploy by the Delhi Police, which comes under the Home Ministry, to allow BJP workers in harassing Kejriwal. He also asked on Twitter why the same workers did not question actions of former union minister Nihal Chand and Babu Lal.
Deputy CM Manish Sisodia also said the protest appeared to be ‘pre-planned’ with Delhi Police remaining a ‘mute spectator’ to the commotion at the station.
Kejriwal left for Ludhiana to engage in talks with party leaders in regard to tickets for the upcoming state elections in Punjab. The party unit in the state has been beset by major problems especially after its state convenor Sucha Singh Chhotepur was removed following bribery allegations. Kejriwal’s visit to Punjab comes on a day when former BJP leader Navjot Singh Sidhu is expected to announce his political plans with respect to ‘Awaz-e-Punjab’ outfit in Chandigarh.
