The TDP leaders were taken away by the Delhi Police as they protested in front of the Prime Minister’s residence against the “injustice” meted out to Andhra Pradesh and demanding special status for the state.
(Photo: Twitter/@ArvindKejriwal)
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal met agitating Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders on Sunday at the Tughlak Road police station in New Delhi following their detention.
The TDP leaders were taken away by the Delhi Police as they protested in front of the Prime Minister’s residence against the “injustice” meted out to Andhra Pradesh and demanding special status for the state.
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“I went and met them at police station in solidarity. We condemn their detention and fully support demand for special status of Andhra Pradesh,” Kejriwal said after meeting the leaders.
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Kejriwal had recently met Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in Delhi. Reports say that the two discussed a non-BJP, non-Congress federal front ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2019.
Scenes of chaos were witnessed near the 7 Race Course Road today when the police blocked the TDP leaders’ march towards the PM’s residence.
Reports say that a total of 19 MPs were detained but were given the permission to leave if they wanted to.
The march was conducted after a meeting at Rajya Sabha MP and former Union minister YS Chowdary’s residence in the morning.
The TDP and the BJP parted ways in March after around two months of bitter accusations over funds allocation to the state. TDP ministers in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet and BJP ministers in Naidu’s cabinet resigned from the respective governments before the official announcement of non-alliance.
Kejriwal has been one of the top faces among other leaders who seek to form a third front to take on the BJP in 2019. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had held a meeting with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief in Delhi last month in order to bolster support for a third front.
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