Delhi NRC row: BJP workers detained over protest outside Arvind Kejriwal’s residence

The BJP's Delhi unit filed a police complaint against Kejriwal and Bharadwaj, accusing them of attempting to disturb the law and order situation in the city and alleging they deliberately hurt the sentiments of the Purvanchalis community with their remarks.

A group of BJP workers in Delhi were detained on Thursday after staging protests outside Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence, reported news agency ANI. During the agitation, held after Kejriwal’s jibe at state party chief Manoj Tiwari over implementing NRC in the state a day earlier, police resorted to firing water cannons to disperse the crowd.

The party’s Poorvanchal Morcha said the protests were over Kejriwal’s “abusive language” against Tiwari.

Kejriwal on Wednesday had said Tiwari would be the first person to leave if the National Register of Citizens (NRC) was implemented in Delhi. “Agar NRC Delhi mein laagu hua toh sabse pehle Manoj Tiwari ko Delhi chorni padegi (If NRC is implemented in Delhi, Manoj Tiwari will be the first person who has to leave Delhi),” Kejriwal had said during a press briefing.

On repeated occasions, Tiwari has pitched for a Delhi NRC, along the lines of the Assam list, which was released on August 31.

AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj had challenged Tiwari to produce documents to establish he has a Delhi connection prior to 1971, which is the cut-off year for the NRC in Assam. “The BJP essentially wants to throw Purvanchalis out of the city. For the poor, it becomes difficult to produce documents to even get pensions,” he had said.

Purvanchalis are people from parts of north Bihar and east Uttar Pradesh.

The BJP’s state unit Thursday filed a police complaint against Kejriwal and Bharadwaj, accusing them of attempting to disturb the law and order situation in the city and alleged they deliberately hurt the sentiments of the Purvanchali community with their remarks.

The complaint was filed by BJP leaders Kapil Mishra and Neelkant Bakshi.

In response to Kejriwal’s statement, Tiwari had said the Chief Minister’s comments “reflect his mindset”.

“He considers people of his own country foreigners. NRC is not meant for people from UP, Bihar or MP. It is meant to weed out Bangladeshis and Rohingyas,” Tiwari said. “I have criticised him (Kejriwal) for his policies but I never abused him.”

(With inputs from agencies)

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