The Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Mumbai unit on Friday said that its party leaders and workers were mistreated and unlawfully detained by the Mumbai Police.
AAP Mumbai strongly condemned the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal. The party said that the arrest was based on false allegations.
The party said that it denounces the extreme police brutality and unjust actions taken against its party leaders and workers during a protest at the ED office in Mumbai.
AAP Mumbai President Preeti Sharma Menon said their workers were shoved and beaten and women were detained in the night.
She said that party leaders and workers were exercising their democratic right to protest against the wrongful detention of Arvind Kejriwal. “However, instead of upholding the law, the Mumbai Police resorted to arbitrary arrests and harassment of our peaceful protesters,” she added.
The AAP Mumbai said that during the protest, several AAP members were hit and shoved by police officers. “The party leaders and workers were Azad Maidan without adequate facilities, such as light, fans, chairs, or toilets,” it said.
“The mistreatment continued as we demanded to sit on benches and were met with further violence from police officers. One cop in civilian clothes pushed AAP Mumbai President Preeti Sharma Menon to the ground,” the AAP Mumbai said.
“Currently, ten AAP leaders remain in detention at MRA Marg Police Station, awaiting transfer to Mazgaon Court, this morning. They will be represented by Adv Sandeep Katke in the Court,” the Arvind Kejriwal-led party said.
Meanwhile, Preeti Sharma Menon has demanded immediate and stringent action against the cop for his misconduct.
“We demand immediate and stringent action against the cop for his misconduct, including being drunk on duty and assaulting female leaders. We call upon the authorities to uphold the principles of justice and accountability and ensure that such incidents are not repeated in the future,” said Preeti Sharma.
The ED arrested Kejriwal, who is also the national convenor of AAP, in an excise policy-linked money laundering case on Thursday night and took him to the agency`s headquarters in Delhi.
The arrest, the first of a sitting chief minister, came hours after the Delhi High Court refused to grant protection to the AAP national convenor from any coercive action by the agency.
The 55-year-old leader’s arrest, amid the campaign for the Lok Sabha elections, drew angry reactions from AAP. The party said Kejriwal “will continue as the chief minister of Delhi. If need be, he will run the government from jail”.
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