AAP MLAs wear yellow T-shirts, ‘Kejriwal’ masks at Assembly

New Delhi: Clad in yellow T-shirts and sporting “Kejriwal” masks, AAP MLAs arrived at the Delhi Assembly on Wednesday to mark their protest against the party supremo’s arrest by the ED in an excise policy-linked money-laundering case. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders, including Delhi ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj, symbolically took their social media campaign to the Assembly as they came dressed in yellow T-shirts with slogans, such as “Mai bhi Kejriwal” and “Modi ka sabse bada dar Kejriwal”, printed on those.

“All AAP MLAs are protesting against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s illegal arrest. Efforts are being made to do away with democracy in the country. For the first time in India’s history, a sitting chief minister has been arrested and that too just before the national (Lok Sabha) election,” Atishi told reporters during the protest.

The AAP launched a social media campaign on Monday, with its leaders changing their display pictures to one depicting Kejriwal behind bars, along with the caption -- “Modi ka sabse bada dar Kejriwal (Kejriwal is Modi’s biggest fear)”. As the Assembly

proceedings began on Wednesday, AAP leaders stormed into the Well of the House raising “murdabad” slogans against the BJP-led Centre and demanding Kejriwal’s release from the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) custody.

The House was adjourned till April 1 amid the sloganeering. Earlier in the day, the AAP leaders gathered outside the Assembly and demanded the release of their party supremo.

Delhi High Court Acting Chief Justice Manmohan on Wednesday cautioned lawyers against staging protests on court premises against the arrest of Kejriwal, saying the consequences would be “severe”.

The Aam Aadmi Party’s legal cell has called for a protest in district courts here on Wednesday following Kejriwal’s arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case.

“Consequences would be severe for organising protest in court. Courts cannot be withheld. Courts cannot be stopped. We cannot take away someone’s right to approach the court,” Justice Manmohan said.