The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) strongly criticized the BJP for attempting to prevent the party’s MLAs, councillors, leaders, and officebeares from participating in the pre announced protest. AAP Delhi State Convenor Shri Gopal Rai stated that there was daylight vote robbery in front of the cameras during the Chandigarh Mayoral Election. The BJP fears that the truth of vote theft will come to light, prompting them to make a concerted effort, with police assistance, to thwart our demonstration. Our MLAs, councillors, and party workers intending to peacefully protest were obstructed in various places. Police arrested AAP MLAs from Rajouri Garden, Janakpuri, Bijwasan, Krishna Nagar, including the Delhi Legislative Assembly Speaker, Deputy Mayor of MCD and councillors from Hari Nagar, Laxmi Nagar, RK Puram, Badli, Moti Nagar, Trinagar, Timarpur, Seemapuri. The party headquarters was also converted into a cantonment. Today, the BJP’s situation is such that they will steal and not allow the public to speak against it. Therefore, efforts are being made to suppress voices from all sides.
AAP’s Delhi State Convenor and Delhi’s Cabinet Minister Shri Gopal Rai held a press conference at the party headquarters, stating that in the Chandigarh Mayoral Election, BJP committed daylight murder of democracy by stealing votes and falsely declaring their mayor elected through fraudulent means. This exposes BJP’s dark agenda of crushing democracy in various ways. The video of an election officer working for BJP, caught in the act, reveals the extent to which BJP is willing to go to assassinate democracy for forming their government, winning elections, and making their mayor. After this anti-democratic act, questions and doubts people had about BJP are proving to be true.
The AAP Delhi State Convenor stated that during the Chandigarh Mayoral Election, blatant vote robbery occurred in broad daylight, and now, as the AAP is running a campaign against it, efforts are being made to thwart it. Delhi’s CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab CM Shri Sardar Bhagwant Mann were to participate in today’s protest by AAP, but the BJP government deployed the entire police force across corners of Delhi to stop the protest. AAP MLAs, councillors, leaders, and activists were put under house arrest, and they were prevented from participating in the demonstration.
“The manner in which the police force has been stationed at the AAP office gives the impression that it is not an AAP demonstration but a police demonstration. The BJP’s position is such that they will commit theft and not allow you to speak. Attempts are being made to crush voices from every direction. Thousands of AAP workers have been stopped at various places in Delhi. MLAs from Rajouri Garden, Janakpuri, Bijwasan, Krishna Nagar, along with Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel, have been put under house arrest,” he added.
Shri Gopal Rai mentioned, “Meanwhile, in MCD, AAP’s Deputy Mayor, along with councillors from Hari Nagar, Laxmi Nagar, RK Puram, Badli, Moti Nagar, Trinagar, Timarpur, Seemapuri, have been house arrested. Police are searching for AAP activists and leaders everywhere. It is happening for the first time that police force has been deployed at every nook and corner of Delhi to prevent peacefully protesting individuals in a democratic manner.”
The AAP Delhi State Convenor said, “The police have converted the AAP’s office to a cantonment. Police officers are not ready to provide answers as to why house arrests are being conducted and why arrests are being made in different places. We are not demonstrating for the first time at the BJP headquarters. Although it is not the first event at the AAP headquarters, the BJP seems to be excessively fearful. Because the conspiracy to assassinate democracy by the BJP in the Chandigarh mayoral election has been exposed to everyone. Now, the BJP is afraid that this truth might come before the people across the country, so they are trying to stop the protest.”
“However, this question had already arisen in the minds of the people when the democratically elected government in Maharashtra was overthrown, and BJP formed its own government through coercion, intimidation of legislators, purchases, and assassination of democracy. The same happened in Bihar, where power was overturned under pressure. Even after arrests in Jharkhand, the government kept waiting for the oath despite presenting the letter of majority to the governor,” he added.
Shri Gopal Rai conveyed that the BJP is attempting to eliminate opposition governments and opposition leaders throughout the country, trying to arrest them, and using tactics to win where new elections are taking place. In the Chandigarh mayoral election, the AAP and the Congress’ INDIA Alliance had 20 councillors, yet they lost the election. Conversely, those without a majority won the election.
“The kind of game BJP is playing is scripting a dark chapter for Indian democracy, and the people will never forgive it. A request is made to the police to provide clarification for this illegal action, release the arrested leaders, and permit peaceful demonstrations. The police’s job is to maintain law and order, not spread disorder. However, the police are inciting disorder against AAP leaders and partyworkers. We will peacefully demonstrate at the BJP headquarters, raising questions about when they will stop the theft of votes,” he concluded.
