Is Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal under house arrest; here's the truth

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are sparring over the former's allegation that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was allegedly put under house arrest since his visit to agitating farmers at Delhi-Haryana border on Monday. 

Huge protests were mounted by the ruling AAP against what they called the illegal restriction on Kejriwal's movement yesterday, December 8  when the country observed a "Bharat bandh" in support of the protesting farmers. 

On Monday, Kejriwal met agitating farmers near Singhu border (Delhi-Haryana border) and inspected arrangements made for the farmers who have been camping there for the last 14 days against recently passed Central farm laws. 

In a series of tweets, AAP said that there was a heavy police presence outside Kejriwal's residence in Civil Lines area of Delhi and that the entry and exit of people was "banned".

Delhi Police rebut allegations

The Delhi Police, however, initially said that they had deployed police personnel to maintain law and order and to avoid clashes between workers of different parties. Later, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) rebutted AAP's allegations and shared a photo of the CM's residence purportedly showing minimal security.

"A section of people are alleging that Honourable Delhi CM has been put under house arrest. These allegations are baseless and false. He is attending to his official engagements and moving freely as per his usual routine," the DCP (North) told reporters yesterday.

Delhi Police also released multiple CCTV footages purportedly showing Kejriwal travelling in the city on Monday night. In a CCTV footage, Kejriwal can be seen entering a hotel in Pashchim Vihar to attend a wedding.

Manish Sisodia waited for over 2 hrs to meet Kejriwal? 

Kejriwal's Deputy Manish Sisodia alleged that he had to wait for two hours outside the chief minister's residence before being allowed to meet the AAP supremo who supported the "Bharat bandh" and had appealed to workers to actively participate in the strike.

TV footage showed heavy police presence outside Kejriwal's residence with AAP ministers, MLAs and workers protesting against the "illegal house arrest" on yesterday.

"I am sitting out the CM's residence. Police have stopped MLAs, ministers, MPs, party workers and common people. Police are not allowing them to enter the CM's residence but police officers are lying that there is no house arrest. From whom the police are taking the instructions? On whose orders the CM has been put under house arrest," Sisodia tweeted. 

AAP claims that Kejriwal is being punished for his government denial to a proposal of the Delhi Police, which reports to Union Home Ministry, to convert nine stadiums in Delhi into open jails to lodge the protesting farmers. 

'Planned to go as part of Bharat bandh, not as a CM but as a sevadar':  Kejriwal

On Tuesday evening, addressing party workers at his residence, Kejriwal said that he had planned to go to farmers as part of the Bharat bandh, not as a CM but as a "sevadar". 

"I wanted to spend some time with the protesting farmers today, not as a CM but as a sevadar. This was my plan. I believe they got to know about my plan. so they didn't let me do that," he said. 

Kejriwal further said that the BJP-led Central government is angry with him for not clearing the proposal to convert nine stadiums of Delhi into open jail to lodge protesting farmers. "They (the Centre) had proposed for converting nine stadiums of Delhi into open jails. I was pressurized by all means. Many calls were made but we didn't allow. Since then, the Central government is very angry," he said. 

The BJP said there were "no restrictions" on entry to Kejriwal's house, and that the barricades outside had always been there.

AAP reiterates claim

On Wednesday, AAP reiterated its allegation about Kejriwal's house arrest. "With full responsibility, I am telling you that movement of CM Arvind Kejriwal is still restricted on the instructions of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The main gate of the CM's residence is still closed," AAP leader Raghav Chadha told media persons.

"Yesterday, the CM was put under house arrest so that he couldn't participate in the Bharat bandh. In a way, an environment alike an Emergency persists. These things are happening because we didn't allow conversion of stadiums into open jails," Chadha said. 

Farmers' protest

Lakhs of farmers are protesting in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh among other states against the three farm laws passed by the Parliament in September this year.

Thousands of them are camping at different borders of Delhi and have blocked several entry points into the national capital, in a bid to force the Central government to bow to their demands -- repeal of all of the three laws.

Five rounds of talks have taken place between farmers' unions and the Centre but to no avail. Even though the government agreed to include the MSP in the laws, the farmers want nothing short of rolling back the laws completely.

Deadlock to continue 

After the Bharat bandh yesterday evening, December 8 Union Home Minister met with several groups of farmers' unions -- indicating the involvement of the government's highest level to resolve the deadlock over the contentious farm laws. The meeting, however, couldn't succeed to break the deadlock with both the government and the farmers remaining firm on their positions.

The farmers refused to accept the government's offer of amendment in the laws, sticking to their demand for complete scrapping.

Following the meeting with Shah, the sixth rounds of talks scheduled today with Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and other ministers was cancelled.