The AAP leaders were leading a protest against the arrest of party legislator Dinesh Mohaniya.
Highlights
- They were held while protesting AAP legislator Dinesh Mohaniya's arrest
- AAP claims Mr Mohaniya was arrested on false charges
- Cops say he 'misbehaved' with women who complained about water crisis
Fifty-two legislators of the Aam Aadmi Party -- including Delhi deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia -- were detained for four hours for marching towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official residence. The legislators said they had gone to court arrest over a number of issues -- including the arrest of party legislator Dinesh Mohaniya and a police complaint against Mr Sisodia.
Mr Sisodia - who said he had gone to "surrender" - reiterated the party's accusation that the Narendra Modi government was holding up work in Delhi.
Earlier in the day, he tweeted, "Modiji, you have arrested us and kept us in Parliament Street police station. We are ready to go to Tihar jail. But do not stop the work in Delhi."
The BJP alleged that AAP was merely playing to the galleries. "Maintaining law and order is the job of the Delhi Police. By safeguarding the Dinesh Mohaniya, he (Mr Sisodia) is encouraging (his partymen) to misbehave with women."
The police said it was doing its job. "If the minister violates the law we will arrest them, nobody is above the law. They cannot protest near the PM's residence. We had asked them to protest near Jantar Mantar but they refused," said Joint Commissioner of Police MK Meena.
The police, however, did not file any case against the AAP leaders and said they had been taken into preventive custody.
"It has become a crime to be a AAP legislator, all AAP MLAs are criminals according to police," said party leader Jarnail Singh.
This is part of the long-running feud between the Centre and the AAP government on a host of issues including appointments and role of police. After Mr Mohaniya's arrest, AAP, which has long been critical of the functioning of the police, had once again said the control of the police should be handed over the Delhi government.
Mr Mohaniya, the legislator from Sangam Vihar, was arrested yesterday during a press conference for allegedly misbehaving with a group of women who had gone to him to complain about a water crisis. A court had rejected his bail petition and remanded him in judicial custody till Monday.
AAP has called the charges against Mr Mohaniya fabricated and said the dramatic arrest was a sign that PM Modi was clamping down an 'Emergency' in Delhi.