Arvind Kejriwal is seen outside a Delhi court on Wednesday. (AFP)
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal, who was arrested and sent to Tihar Jail in a defamation case on Wednesday, argued his own case today in a courtroom that was packed with his supporters. (
Kejriwal Sent to Tihar; AAP Leaders Detained During Protests Against His Arrest)When the judge arrived in the court, he reportedly refused to begin hearing till the crowd cleared. Among those present was his wife Sunita Kejriwal.
The AAP chief was arrested on Wednesday after he refused to post bail in a case filed by BJP leader Nitin Gadkari. Scores of his party men who protested outside the prison on Wednesday night were also arrested. (
Nitin Gadkari slaps defamation notice on Arvind Kejriwal)After he was taken to jail, some 60 AAP supporters sat on the road outside and clashed with policemen, causing traffic chaos in the west Delhi area. Prohibitory orders were put in place and the protesters were bundled into buses and arrested. Among them were Mr Kejriwal's close aides Yogendra Yadav and Sanjay Singh. They were released yesterday.
Condemning the arrests, AAP leader Ashutosh said yesterday, "We respect the court order but the high-handedness of cops was not required. We will start a door-to-door campaign to tell people how an honest person like Kejriwal is behind bars."
Mr Kejriwal was summoned by the court on a complaint by Mr Gadkari, who had been named in AAP's list of "India's most corrupt" in January. He was asked to furnish a bail bond of Rs. 10,000 but he said he would not do so on principle, as he had not committed any crime.