Mumbai, Apr 26 (PTI) Police on Sunday detained some Aam Aadmi Party activists in Khar area of Mumbai for demonstrating outside the residence of Rajya Sabha member Raghav Chadha, who has crossed over to the BJP, and raising slogans.
Aam Aadmi Party’s Mumbai unit president Preeti Sharma Menon claimed the police prevented AAP workers from protesting peacefully against “traitor” Chadha and detained local leader Ruben Mascharanhas.
A Khar Police official confirmed that Mascharanhas and some other activists have been taken to the police station, without elaborating.
The AAP stated that the party workers held a peaceful protest at 16th Road, Khar (west), against the defection of Raghav Chadha and six MPs to the BJP.
Despite prior intimation to the police, a heavy deployment was placed at the spot. AAP Mumbai working president Ruben Mascarenhas was taken from home and detained at Khar police station, and several leaders reported being contacted by local police advising them not to assemble. Police personnel also visited the party’s Chakala office, according to a statement issued by the AAP.
As access to the main venue was restricted, AAP volunteers gathered at Bandra station to continue the demonstration. Later, a group of volunteers reached Khar and held a protest outside the residence of Raghav Chadha and Parineeti Chopra, raising slogans “Raghav Chadha Dalal he, BJP ka Dalal he”, it said. Meanwhile, police intervened and detained several leaders, including Mascarenhas, Sumitra Shrivastava, and others.
The Mumbai unit of AAP further stated that the restrictions and detentions amount to the suppression of a lawful and peaceful democratic protest and raised concerns over the selective enforcement of law and order.
The protest remained peaceful overall, with participants maintaining discipline throughout the day, it added.
“?@CPMumbaiPolice? @mumbaipolice has no other work but to guard Raghav Chaddha’s Mumbai residence. @aapmumbai volunteers were prevented from protesting peacefully against the GADDAR. Ruben has been detained at the Khar Police Station. But BJP is allowed to block roads at their whim,” Menon stated.
Mascharanhas said in an X post that he was taken to the Khar police station without a detention order.
“Without any detention order or any written communication, I have been taken to the Khar Police Station. Why is @MumbaiPolice so scared of @AAPMumbai’s peaceful protest against ‘Gaddar’ Raghav Chaddha and Sandeep Pathak? We are @ArvindKejriwal’s soldiers, we are not going to be cowed down,” he said.
The AAP suffered a jolt on Friday when seven of its Rajya Sabha members, including Chadha, Ashok Mittal and Sandeep Pathak, quit the party, with Chadha saying they have merged with the BJP. PTI PR ZA NSK
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