Delhi Police heighten security ahead of AAP protest

New Delhi, March 22: In anticipation of a planned protest by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders and workers at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) headquarters in the national capital, the Delhi Police have beefed up the security measures in the area.

This comes after AAP leader and Delhi Minister Gopal Rai said that senior party leaders have decided to hold a protest outside the BJP headquarters on Friday as well as move the Supreme Court in view of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's arrest by the Enforcement DIrectorate (ED) in the alleged excise scam.

Heavy personnel deployment and multi-layer barricading have been put in place on roads leading to the BJP headquarters, where AAP members are set to gather in response to CM Kejriwal' arrest.

Paramilitary personnel, equipped with anti-riot gear, have also been stationed to ensure the maintenance of law and order during the demonstration.

Meanwhile, traffic police have advised commuters to steer clear of routes leading to central Delhi, anticipating significant disruptions due to the large gathering of AAP supporters.

To accommodate the heightened security measures, roads leading to both the BJP headquarters and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office in central Delhi have been closed off.

“On advice of Delhi Police, ITO Metro station will remain closed from 08:00 AM to 06:00 PM today i.e, 22nd March 2024,” Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said in a tweet.

During a late night press conference on Thursday, Minister Rai said that after holding a discussion with the top leadership of the Aam Aadmi Party, it was decided to start the protest at 10 a.m. on Friday at the Bharatiya Janata Party headquarters which will eventually spread across the country.

“Simultaneously, the party will fight it out in the court," he added.