Central Delhi’s Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg witnessed tense demonstrations on Friday as workers from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) clashed in protests. The busy street turned into a battleground as AAP workers accused the BJP of rigging the recent Chandigarh mayoral election, while the BJP retaliated, targeting AAP national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over alleged corruption in the Delhi government.
Amid heightened tensions, the police significantly increased security across the district. Approximately 150 AAP workers and 60 from the BJP were reportedly detained around 1.45 p.m., taken to separate police stations, and later released after a few hours.
The discord originated from the Chandigarh mayoral election on January 30, where BJP’s candidate Manoj Sonkar secured the mayoral post with 16 votes, while the AAP-Congress-backed candidate Kuldeep Kumar received 12 votes. The AAP-Congress alliance alleged ballot tampering by the presiding officer.
Addressing AAP protesters, Arvind Kejriwal accused the BJP of “stealing votes” and emphasized the importance of democracy. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, also present at the protest, highlighted the historical significance of the gathering in defense of democracy.
At a separate protest organized by the BJP against Kejriwal, Delhi unit president Virendra Sachdeva criticized the AAP leader for not appearing before the Enforcement Directorate, linking it to alleged theft related to the Delhi excise policy.
The clashes disrupted traffic in various parts of the city, leading to congestion on NH-24, near India Gate, Bahadurshah Zafar Marg, and Minto Road near Connaught Place. The heavy police deployment prevented the two groups from marching towards each other’s headquarters, but the standoff highlighted the escalating political tensions in the capital.
