AAP claims, Kejriwal under house arrest; Delhi Police denies

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday, 8 December, took to Twitter to claim that the Delhi Police has placed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal under house arrest since his visit to the Singhu border on Monday.

The party alleged on Twitter that no one has been permitted to enter or leave his residence.

AAP also alleged that the Chief Minister was deliberately blocked because of the Bharat Bandh called by farmers protesting against the central government's new farm laws.

The party said Delhi Police, on orders from the Union Home Ministry, got the three mayors of the city's various civic bodies to protest in front of the Chief Minister's home and used it as an excuse to block the exits.

Mr Kejriwal's residence has been barricaded completely, with none allowed to enter or leave the premises, AAP claimed.       

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday visited the Singhu border, where thousands of farmers are protesting against the Centre's new farm laws, and checked arrangements made for them by the city government.

However, the Delhi Police has denied AAP’s claim, saying “It is a general deployment to avoid any clash between the AAP and any other party. CM has not been put under house arrest.”

Kejriwal was accompanied by his Cabinet ministers and some party MLAs during the brief visit to the protest venue on the Delhi-Haryana border.

"I checked the arrangements. We received a lot of pressure to allow the use of stadiums as temporary prisons but we did not give permission and I feel this helped the movement. Since then our party MLAs and ministers have been involved in ensuring that farmers do not face any discomfort," he had said.