Following his acquittal in the excise policy case, Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) faced a setback after the Delhi Police denied permission for a rally in the national capital at the last moment. The rally had been scheduled for Sunday, March 1, at Jantar Mantar.
Kejriwal expressed displeasure over the cancellation, calling into question the timing and circumstances of the decision.
In a post on social media platform X, Kejriwal said, "The Aam Aadmi Party had a rally at Jantar Mantar yesterday, March 1st. This rally was announced several days ago. Now, at the last moment, these people got the rally cancelled by the police."
By "these people," Kejriwal was referring to the BJP governments in Delhi and at the Centre.
He further questioned the move, stating, "Is this the result of yesterday's court order? Holding rallies and expressing one's views is everyone's constitutional right. This kind of dictatorship is not right. We should be allowed to hold rallies."
AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh also criticised the denial of permission. In a post on Instagram, he said, "Jantar Mantar is a designated place for protests in Delhi, where it is the responsibility of the Delhi Police to grant permission for protests. But look at the panic of the BJP, they did not allow Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party to hold a rally at Jantar Mantar. I called the Delhi Police Commissioner several times, but the phone was not answered."
AAP leader Saurabh Bhardwaj said the party would proceed with its planned programme despite the lack of police permission.
In a post on X, he wrote, "Attention all comrades. We will leave for Jantar Mantar this morning as scheduled. There has been no change in the program. Jai Hind."
The development comes shortly after Kejriwal’s acquittal in the excise policy case, which had prompted the party to organise the rally.
