Hours after ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi claimed that the party chief was put under house arrest in the view of Bharat Bandh, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said that he would have gone to support the protesting farmers if not stopped.
While addressing a public gathering at his residence, Kejriwal, without naming anyone, said, "I had planned that today I would go to the border not as Chief Minister but as a common man to express my solidarity with the farmers. I think they came to know about my plan and they did not let me go."
"The entire country supported the Bharat Bandh call. I want to congratulate everyone. If our farmers are not happy, we will not be happy either. Delhi has also supported the bandh," he added.
AAP leaders, including Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, held a sit-in protest outside Kejriwal's residence alleging that he has been put under house arrest.
Asserting that the BJP is "scared" that Kejriwal will take to the streets in favour of the farmers' protest, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had alleged that Kejriwal has been put under house arrest.
However, North Delhi DCP, Anto Alphonse said that the deployment outside Delhi Chief Minister's residence is the regular deployment for his security. The police also tweeted a photograph of the entrance of Kejriwal's residence and denied the allegations.
"This claim of CM Delhi being put on house arrest is incorrect. He exercises his right to free movement within the law of the land. A picture of the house entrance says it all," the DCP tweeted.
The party has extended its support to the Bharat Bandh called by farmer organisations. Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, are protesting at various border points of Delhi against the new farm laws. The Centre's offer to amend the contentious laws failed to cut ice with farmer groups during the fifth round of talks on Saturday.
(Inputs from Agencies)
