New Delhi:
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, his six ministers and about 200 workers of his Aam Aadmi Party are spending the night at the venue of the 10-day protest that they began today; it will be a security nightmare for the police, which is tasked with securing the area ahead of Republic Day.
The chief minister, braving the Delhi winter, slept on a mattress at the side of the road, right next to his blue Wagon R.
Following are the latest developments in this story:
Arvind Kejriwal defied prohibitory orders to launch his protest against the city's police, creating a traffic nightmare at rush hour in central Delhi for the aam aadmi or common man he claims to represent.(Track LIVE updates)
4000 cops, rapid action force or RAF and several anti-riot vehicles are posted at the venue of the sit-in - just outside Rail Bhavan near India Gate. The police's attempts through the day to get Mr Kejriwal to shift his protest to Jantar Mantar have failed.
Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, after the cabinet meeting, met the Prime Minister and apprised him of the developments and the planned action. Mr Kejriwal has rejected Mr Shinde's offer that appropriate action will be considered against three Delhi Police cops the CM wants suspended after an inquiry. He has demanded the immediate suspension of the cops, who he has accused of dereliction of duty.
"They say I am an anarchist. Yes, I am. Today, I will create anarchy for Mr Shinde," the 45-year-old Chief Minister said after he was stopped by the police at the Rail Bhavan crossing, some distance away from Mr Shinde's office.(Watch)
Mr Kejriwal says the Delhi government must be given charge of the city's police force which currently reports to the union government via the Home Ministry. His demand comes after last week's gang-rape of a Danish tourist, and a controversial midnight raid by the Law Minister in a South Delhi neighbourhood.
In the evening, leaders from his party were seen on camera arguing aggressively with the police about allegedly beating up their supporters including a law-maker named Akhilesh Tripathi, who was injured and moved to hospital. They also alleged that one of their ministers Saurabh Bharadwaj had been arrested and made to sit in a bus.
The Delhi Police denied both charges. They said Mr Bharadwaj sat in the bus of his own accord. The cops disconnected the public address system in an attempt to make the protesters shift to Jantar Mantar, an area earmarked for demonstrations.
Apart from a huge traffic jam in central Delhi at office hour, the protest caused much inconvenience to Metro commuters, with four major stations in the area being closed today.
Mr Kejriwal called for official files which arrived in cartons at the site of his protest. He was seen reading and signing files. Senior minister Manish Sisodia said, "He is unwell. He could have worked from the comfort of his office but he chose to work here."
Both the BJP and external ally Congress have severely criticised Mr Kejriwal for his unprecedented protest. The BJP called it "anarchy", the Congress said he was "taking the law in his own hands." Mr Shinde has asked Mr Kejriwal to "maintain the dignity of the Chief Minister's office."(Read more...)
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