Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders on Monday held a protest outside the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Punjab unit headquarters in Chandigarh against the “unconstitutional” arrest of the party’s senior leader and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia by the CBI in Delhi excise policy a day before. 

Hundreds of AAP leaders and workers, including Punjab Cabinet Ministers — Harpal Singh Cheema, Anmol Gagan Mann, Lal Chand Kataruchak, Brahm Shankar Jimpa, Dr Balbir Singh, Harjot Singh Bains, Harbhajan Singh ETO, Laljit Singh Bhullar, Chetan Singh Jouramajra,  Inderbir Singh Nijhar, among others participated in the protest, and were detained by the Chandigarh Police. 

Protesting, AAP leaders raised slogans against the Narendra Modi-led Central Government blaming it for Sisodia’s arrest, while terming it as a dictatorial decision that is a threat to democracy.

“BJP government is using the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to suppress the voices of the Opposition…BJP is unnerved by the Aam Aadmi Party and that’s why they are registering fake cases against the leaders and putting them in jail,: said senior leader and Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema while addressing the workers.

Cheema said that as the education minister of Delhi, Sisodia made arrangements for good education for poor children. “Today in Delhi, children of both rich and poor are studying together in government schools. Fearing the education revolution in Delhi, the BJP has arrested Sisodia on false charges,” he said.

The Minister said that ED raided Sisodia’s house several times and bank accounts were searched, but nothing was found. “The CBI has arrested Sisodia under pressure from the Modi Government. BJP’s aim is not to arrest Sisodia but to stop Aam Aadmi Party and Arvind Kejriwal. But the party will continue to work for the common people and downtrodden society to lift their living standards. Soon the whole truth will come out in front of the public,” he said.

Cheema said that the CBI has no evidence against Sisodia. “Some BJP leaders are saying Rs 10 thousand crore and some are saying Rs 25,000 crore, but not even a single rupee has been recovered from him. The BJP will be cursed by the parents of the children studying in the government schools of Delhi,” he added.

Earlier, addressing the protesters during what it called a 'Lok Tantar Bachao dharna', Cheema accused the BJP of trying to suppress the voice of rival party leaders and misusing the central agencies like the CBI and the ED. He said the BJP was “scared” of the AAP. “We will continue to fight from the streets to parliament and will oppose the BJP policies,” said Cheema.

They carried placards that read ''shiksha mantri tujhe salaam'' (salute to education minister) with a picture of Sisodia. The protesters also raised slogans against the BJP.