New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has lashed out at the Centre over the action taken by Delhi Police against Aam Aadmi Party supporters, who allegedly put up objectionable posters on Prime Minister Narendra Modi across the national capital. Weighing on the poster row, the Delhi CM, in a press briefing on Wednesday, said, “Why is PM Modi so scared? Why is he so insecure? This is a normal poster, anyone can put up such posters in a democracy.”
#ModiHataoDeshBachao – ये तो Normal Poster है!
PM Modi इतने Insecure और डरे क्यों हुए हैं?
– CM @ArvindKejriwal pic.twitter.com/e7elrl0UX3
— Aam Aadmi Party Delhi (@AAPDelhi) March 22, 2023
Many Arrested, FIRs Filed Over PM Modi Posters In Delhi
On Wednesday, Delhi Police arrested several persons for allegedly putting up posters against PM Modi. Delhi Police said that it has arrested six people and registered 49 FIRs in connection with posters put up against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Earlier, police had said that 100 FIRs were registered, but they later revised the figure. Posters reading “Modi Hatao, Desh Bachao” were found glued all across the city’s walls and electricity poles, the police said. The six arrested include owners of two printing presses, who were arrested for not giving the details of their printing presses on the posters, police said. An investigation is being conducted to ascertain if any AAP worker is involved in the incident, they said. The FIRs have been registered under the Delhi Prevention of Defacement of Property Act and the Press and Registration of Books Act, according to the officer.
Delhi Police claimed the printing presses were given the order to print 50,000 posters and workers associated with the firms put several of them up on Sunday night. Posters put up at Mandir Marg, Deen Dayal Upadhaya Marg, Aruna Asaf Ali Road, Seemapuri, New Usmanpur, Khajuri Khas, Ashok Vihar, Model Town, and Bharat Nagar have been removed, police said.
Around 20,000 posters have been seized so far, including 2,050 from a car after it exited the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) headquarters on DDU Marg, police said, adding the vehicle was impounded and its driver arrested.
Kejriwal, Mann To Address Public Meeting At Jantar Mantar
The Delhi CM and his Punjab counterpart and fellow Aam Aadmi Party leader Bhagwant Mann will jointly address a public meeting at Jantar Mantar in the national capital on Thursday. The public meeting is being organised in the backdrop of the arrests made by Delhi Police in connection with the posters targeting PM Modi. Sharing more details about the meeting on Thursday, senior AAP leader and Delhi Minister Gopal Rai said the AAP was undeterred by the Delhi Police crackdown and will raise the slogan `Modi Hatao Desh Bachao` from the stage. “Prime Minister Modi can get 1,000 FIRs registered, but from tomorrow, the slogan ‘Modi Hatao, Desh Bachao’ will resonate across the country. They have crossed all limits. If the legacy of freedom fighters is to be saved, there is only one way — ‘Modi Hatao, Desh Bachao,” Raid said.
The meeting in Jantar Mantar will coincide with Shaheed Diwas, the day Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev were hanged. “Considering the prevailing scenario in the country, the AAP will raise the slogan `Modi Hatao Desh Bachao` from the stage at the Jantar Mantar tomorrow. We will carry forward this slogan into the Lok Sabha elections next year. All our MLAs, MPs, workers, and national office bearers of the party will participate in the meeting,” Rai said at the press briefing on Wednesday.
“Remembering Shaheed-E-Azam Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev, AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal will address the meeting along with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann,” Rai added.
(With Agency Inputs)