Cops use water cannon, tear gas shells on AAP workers protesting Sanjay’s arrest

Chandigarh: Police on Thursday used a water cannon and hurled tear gas shells to disperse AAP workers who were trying to force their way through barricades to ‘gherao’ the office of Punjab BJP here in protest against the arrest of party leader Sanjay Singh.

Police also used batons against the Aam Aadmi Party workers, who set on fire an effigy decrying the arrest of their leader.

The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday raided AAP Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh’s home in connection with a money laundering case linked to the Delhi excise policy and later arrested him.

Barricades were raised to prevent AAP leaders and volunteers from heading towards the Punjab BJP office.

When the protesters, several of them senior leaders in the party, tried to force their way through barricades, police used a water cannon and lobbed teargas shells to scatter them.

Earlier speaking to reporters, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema slammed the BJP-led central government over Sanjay Singh’s arrest, alleging that it was trying to suppress the voice of the opposition by misusing investigating agencies.

Cheema said the BJP was unnerved by its decline, and was trying to “intimidate” anyone who speaks against it.

“The BJP knows that its defeat is certain in upcoming general elections. That is why it is attacking opposition leaders by misusing the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate,” he said.

Cheema was accompanied by his cabinet colleagues Harbhajan Singh, Chetan Singh Jouramajra, Bram Shanker Jimpa, and AAP Punjab working president Budh Ram.

The Punjab FM said Sanjay Singh was targeted as he was always vocal against the “BJP’s corruption and its anti-people” steps.

The ED raided Singh’s house for eight hours but found nothing, but still they arrested him without any evidence which is very unfortunate, Cheema said.

On Wednesday, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying it has become his nature to use the ED to intimidate the opposition leaders.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday called Singh’s arrest “completely illegal” and predicted that more opposition leaders will be arrested in the run-up to the 2024 parliamentary elections.

Kejriwal termed the ED raids at Singh’s residence the “last desperate attempt” of a party that is staring at defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.