Arvind Kejriwal house arrest? Delhi BJP dubs it 'drama'; party says meant to avoid meeting protesting mayors

Arvind Kejriwal house arrest? The Delhi BJP on Tuesday hit out at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, accusing him of dong "drama" over his alleged house arrest to avoid meeting mayors and members of the BJP-ruled municipal corporations staging an indefinite dharna outside his residence.

The mayors of North, South and East Delhi municipal corporations--Jai Prakash, Anamika Mithilesh and Nirmal Jain-- accompanied by Delhi BJP vice president Harsh Malhotra and many women councillors have been protesting outside Arvind Kejriwal's Flagstaff Road residence since Monday.

They are demanding payment of "unpaid" dues of Rs 13,000 crore from the Delhi government.

Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta and party MPs Parvesh Verma and Meenakshi Lekhi joined the protesting mayors Tuesday morning.

Gupta also tweeted a video purportedly showing Arvind Kejriwal's car exiting the latter's residence.

"AAP leaders are spreading white lies that CM Arvind Kejriwal is under house arrest since yesterday morning, how is he leaving his residence easily if it is true?? he said.

"CM Delhi is not in house arrest but is resting at home as he partied at a wedding last night. We are used 2nautanki it's time others get 2know," Lekhi tweeted.

"Brilliant performance! Oscar level acting by @ArvindKejriwal and team,? BJP MP Parvesh Verma said on Twitter.

After hours of drama outside Kejriwal's residence over him allegedly being put under house arrest by Delhi Police, the chief minister came outside Tuesday evening and addressed AAP members. He said he would have gone to support the protesting farmers in their Bharat Bandh movement if he was not stopped.

The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) earlier in the day alleged that the Delhi Police has put Kejriwal under house arrest after he met protesting farmers at the Singhu border, a claim denied by the city police

The Delhi BJP president, in a press conference, alleged that the "failure" of Bharat Bandh in Delhi has exposed the CM.

"The Chief Minister is not under house arrest. He is resting at home to avoid meeting the mayors and municipal leaders demanding unpaid dues of Rs 13,000 crore from his government," Gupta said.

Delhi BJP MPs Manoj Tiwari and Gautam Gambhir also trained guns at Kejriwal and the AAP over the issue.

"Farmers are the excuse to achieve power in Punjab. Only Arvind Kejriwal can do such a thing by shutting himself in and screaming house arrest,? Gambhir said in a tweet in Hindi.

North Delhi mayor Jai Prakash said Kejriwal should meet the municipal corporation leaders and redress their grievances.

"I fail to understand why he is avoiding us and instead doing house arrest drama. We will continue our dharna indefinitely till he gives the unpaid dues," he said.
 

The story has been taken from a news agency