Mann criticises BJP over violence outside Kejriwal residence, calls it cowardly act

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Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday said the violence outside the residence of his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal in police presence is a cowardly act, which shows that the BJP is afraid of only the AAP and its national convener. "BJP’s frustration over the crushing defeat in Punjab at the hands of the Aam Aadmi Party is clear now. The attack on the house of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the presence of police is a very cowardly act. It is now clear that the BJP fears only AAP and Arvind Kejriwal," Mann reacted on Twitter. Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia earlier in the day alleged that activists of the BJP's youth wing BJYM attacked and damaged CCTV cameras and security barriers at Kejriwal's residence during a protest.

Punjab minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer said "the rulers of the country are scared". "CM @ArvindKejriwal's HOUSE ATTACKED BY BJP GOONS! #BJPKeGunde broke CCTV cameras, security barriers & boom barriers at Delhi CM's House, all in the presence of Delhi Police," Hayer tweeted. In another tweet, Hayer said, "Punjab's victory has made it clear that the country's next PM will be @ArvindKejriwal. This is why the BJP is scared,"Hayer tweeted in Hindi. Punjab tourism and culture minister Harjot Singh Bains said how can a chief minister's residence that too one like Arvind Kejriwal’s be "attacked by goons in presence of the Delhi Police". Sisodia alleged that the saffron party wants to "kill" Kejriwal. "Due to the AAP victory and the BJP defeat in the Punjab assembly elections, the BJP wants to murder Arvind Kejriwal. BJP goons were deliberately taken by the police to the residence of Kejriwal. They broke the CCTV cameras and barriers in front of the CM's residence," Sisodia said at a press conference. "Just because the BJP cannot defeat Kejriwal, it is trying to kill him. Today's incident was a pre-orchestrated plan of the BJP to murder him, Sisodia added.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader also said they will lodge a formal complaint in this connection.

The activists of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), led by its president Tejasvi Surya, staged a protest near Kejriwal's residence at Civil Lines in the national capital, demanding an apology from him for allegedly mocking Kashmiri Pandits, with the AAP alleging vandalism during the demonstration.

The footage from a CCTV camera installed at the Delhi CM residence shows the protesters dismantling barricades as they huddled outside the house. BJYM national secretary Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga, however, claimed that the workers and leaders of the organisation staged a protest near Kejriwal's residence but did not resort to vandalism.

"We were stopped by the police and around 20-25 of our members and leaders, including Tejasvi Surya, were detained and taken to a police station. They were later released."

In a statement, the Delhi Police said, "Around 1 pm, some protestors breached two barricades and reached the chief minister's house where they created ruckus, shouted slogans... They were carrying a small box of paint from which they threw paint at the door... a boom barrier arm was also found vandalised and a CCTV camera." The police said they acted 'immediately' to remove the protesters and had detained around 70 people. Legal action is being initiated, said Sagar Singh Kalsi, DCP (Delhi North).

(Except for the headline and the pictorial description, this story has not been edited by THE DEN staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)