‘Security withdrawn from Kejriwal after instructions from EC, Delhi Police’: Punjab DGP

Earlier on Thursday, CM Atishi also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah of "playing with the life" of former CM Kejriwal.

New Delhi: After Delhi Chief Minister Atishi criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the withdrawal of security for Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav has said following instructions from the Election Commission of India (EC) and the Delhi Police, they have withdrawn components of the Punjab Police deployed for the security of former Chief Minister.

“From time to time, we get reports of threats to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Arvind Kejriwal and we share them with the concerned agencies. Following the directions of the Delhi police and the Election Commission today, we withdrew the component of the Punjab police in the security of Kejriwal ji,” Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav told the media on Thursday in Patiala.

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Earlier on Thursday, CM Atishi also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah of “playing with the life” of former CM Kejriwal.

Attacking the BJP further, CM Atishi questioned the Election Commission for being a “mute spectator” despite “repeated attacks” on the leader of a national party.

“Shameful. On the instructions of Amit Shah ji, @DelhiPolice today forcibly removed @ArvindKejriwal ji’s Punjab Police security. And on the same day, Kejriwal ji was attacked by BJP goons in Hari Nagar. Does Modi-Shah want to play with Kejriwal’s life? How long will the Election Commission remain a mute spectator? Why is there silence on the repeated attacks on a leader of a national party?” Atishi said in a post on X on Thursday.

This comes after the Punjab Police withdrew its security for AAP chief Kejriwal.

Atishi’s remarks came after AAP Chief Arvind Kejriwal earlier on Thursday, while taking to social media X, alleged that some people of the opposition candidate entered his public meeting in Hari Nagar and attacked his car.

“Today in Hari Nagar, the police allowed the opposition candidate’s men to enter my public meeting and then attacked my car. All this is happening on Amit Shah’s orders. Amit Shah has made the Delhi Police the personal army of the BJP,” Kejriwal said on X.

Kejriwal also raised concerns over the Election Commission’s inaction regarding the repeated attacks on him.

“Big questions are being raised on the Election Commission that the national president of a national party and its leaders are being constantly attacked and the Election Commission is unable to take any effective action,” Kejriwal added in the post.

Meanwhile, BJP leader Parvesh Verma has termed the allegation of the alleged attack on Kejriwal’s car in Hari Nagar as a drama.

“@ArvindKejriwal soon we will bring a drama ‘Hamla hua’ (attack happened), then posters will be printed – ‘Mujhe Kyon Mara?’. Elections are near, Bhai Saheb is writing the script,” Verma said on X.

This is not the first time that Kejriwal has claimed he was attacked during his rally.

Last week, the AAP National Convenor also claimed that he was attacked by alleged BJP workers during his campaign rally.

The Delhi Assembly elections will take place in a single phase on February 5, and the counting of votes is set for February 8.

A total of 699 candidates are competing for the 70 Assembly seats in Delhi.

The Congress, which was in power for 15 consecutive years in Delhi, has suffered setbacks in the last two Assembly elections and has failed to win any seats.

In contrast, the AAP dominated the 2015 and 2020 Assembly elections by winning 67 and 62 seats, respectively, out of a total of 70 seats, while the BJP got only three and eight seats in these elections.