No Objection, Those Who Did It Shouldn't Be Arrested: CM Kejriwal On Posters Against Him

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said he has no objection to posters that have been put up demanding his ouster and those behind it "should not be arrested".

Posters reading "Kejriwal Hatao, Delhi Bachao" (Remove Kejriwal, Save Delhi) have been put up across the national capital by BJP leaders.

This came a day after "Modi Hatao, Desh Bachao" posters appeared across the national capital. The Delhi Police arrested six people and registered 49 FIRs in connection with the anti-Modi posters.

In a tweet, Kejriwal said, "People have put up posters against me in Delhi. I have no objection to this. In a democracy, the public has every right to express their views in favor of or against their leader. Those who put up posters against me should not be arrested."

The posters against Kejriwal were put up by BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa who accused Kejriwal of being "dishonest" and "corrupt". "He is involved in scams in education, health, and excise departments. We are honest people and we are not scared of admitting that we have put up posters against him," Sirsa said. 

Sounding the bugle for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Aam Aadmi Party has said it will kickstart a 'Modi Hatao, Desh Bachao' campaign from the Jantar Mantar here on Thursday.

The party will hold a public meeting which will be attended by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann, AAP leader and Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said on Wednesday.

Posters against PM Modi

Previously, Delhi Police had arrested six people and registered 49 FIRs in connection with posters put up against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a senior officer said on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, police had said that 100 FIRs were registered, but they later revised the figure.

Posters reading "Modi Hatao, Desh Bachao" (Remove Modi, Save the Nation) were found glued all across the city's walls and electricity poles, police said.

An investigation is being conducted to ascertain if any AAP worker is involved in the incident, they said.

The FIRs have been registered under the Delhi Prevention of Defacement of Property Act and the Press and Registration of Books Act, according to the officer.

Kejriwal's reaction on posters against PM Modi

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, reacting to the police action, called Modi "insecure" and "scared" even as police claimed they have seized more than 2,000 posters from a vehicle moments after it came out of the AAP headquarters here.
 

Asked about the FIRs during a post-budget press conference, Kejriwal said, "They registered an FIR over a poster! Why is Modi ji so scared! This is a normal poster and anybody can put it up in a democracy. Such a scared PM, such an insecure PM. I think he (Modi) wakes up every morning thinking who he can put in jail."

Delhi Minister Gopal Rai also criticised the city police during the press conference, and said: "Prime Minister Modi can get 1,000 FIRs registered, but from tomorrow, the slogan 'Modi Hatao, Desh Bachao' will resonate across the country. They have crossed all limits. If the legacy of freedom fighters is to be saved, there is only one way -- 'Modi Hatao, Desh Bachao.'"

According to police, the presses were given an order to print 50,000 posters and workers associated with the firms put several of them up Sunday night.

Posters put up at Mandir Marg, Deen Dayal Upadhaya Marg, Aruna Asaf Ali Road, Seemapuri, New Usmanpur, Khajuri Khas, Ashok Vihar, Model Town, and Bharat Nagar have been removed, police said.

Around 20,000 posters have been seized so far, including 2,050 from a car after it exited the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) headquarters on DDU Marg, police said, adding the vehicle was impounded and its driver arrested.

"During interrogation, the driver told police that he was taking the posters to Anand Parbat-Zakhira crossing," a senior police officer told reporters.

(With PTI Inputs)