Mumbai police detain AAP workers protesting party MP Sanjay Singh's arrest

AAP workers being detained during a protest against the arrest of party`s MP Sanjay Singh by ED in Delhi excise policy case, at BJP headquarters in New Delhi, Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023. PTI Photo

Mumbai police Thursday detained Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers and supporters who were protesting the arrest of party MP Sanjay Singh. The Aam Aadmi party has been protesting in several parts of India after Sanjay Singh was arrested on Wednesday.

AAP workers staged a protest in the national capital at the Aam Aadmi Party office and demanded his release, ANI reported.

Several senior leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party including Atishi Marlena, Reena Gupta raised slogans against the BJP and demanded the release of AAP leader Sanjay Singh.

On the ongoing AAP protest in Delhi, Special CP Law and Order Dependra Pathak said, "It is a protest by the Aam Aadmi Party. The crowd is gathering gradually. Police is present here to maintain the law and order professionally. We are in communication with the organisers. We will make sure that law and order are maintained. We will try to contain the protestors."

Speaking on Sanjay Singh's arrest and the raids by Central agencies, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai targeted the BJP and said "This is going to continue till the 2024 elections unless the BJP loses".

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AAP workers earlier staged a massive protest in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow over the ED raids conducted at Sanjay Singh's residence.

Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP Supremo Arvind Kejriwal condemned Singh's arrest stating, "The arrest of Sanjay Singh is completely illegal. This shows Modi ji's nervousness. They will arrest many more opposition leaders till the elections".

Also, the AAP MP's arrest triggered sharp reactions from the leaders of the INDIA alliance.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Manoj Jha said, "It is not the ED that has arrested Sanjay Singh, he has been arrested by the unit of BJP that comprises ED-IT-CBI. Dark days have begun...In this era of dictatorship, jo dar gaya wo mar gaya. The dictators themselves are scared. This fear will be retaliated against soon".

Meanwhile, Comparing the arrests of Punjab Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira and AAP MP Sanjay Singh, BJP leader Sambit Patra on Thursday accused the Arvind Kejriwal-led party of "double standards".

Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Patra claimed that all those involved in the Delhi excise policy case will be caught one after the other.

"Khaira was arrested in a drugs case and Sanjay Singh was held in liquor scam. Both are allegedly involved in similar cases. However, the AAP adopts a different policy for its MP. Is it not a double standard?" he asked.

"It is the character of the AAP to do corruption openly, and they start politics when caught," he said, claiming that the documents seized from Singh are likely to point to a "very big AAP leader".

AAP's Odisha convenor Nishikant Mohapatra rejected Patra's allegation, claiming that neither the CBI nor the ED has any evidence against the party's leaders.

"Is Sambit Patra a spokesperson of the CBI and ED? Let the investigating agencies say that they got evidence from Sanjay Singh's house. As far as we know, the agencies have not got any evidence, either against Manish Sisodia or Sanjay Singh," he claimed.

"The Punjab Congress MLA was arrested by the AAP government in an old case of 2015. His call recording with drugs mafia, and money transfer was established. What evidence do the agencies have against the AAP leaders?" he asked.

Singh, a Rajya Sabha MP, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday. (Agencies)

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