Mumbai: Mumbai Police on Sunday detained several leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) after the party announced plans to stage a protest outside Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha’s residence in Khar following his exit from the party.
Among those detained was AAP leader Ruben Mascarenas, who claimed that he was taken into custody without any written communication and brought to Khar Police Station.
In a post shared on social media, Mascarenas alleged that the police action was aimed at preventing AAP members from protesting outside Chadha’s residence. A photograph accompanying the post shows him seated inside the police station premises.
Mascarenas further alleged that the police were “scared” of AAP members and were deliberately restricting their movement to curb dissent. Despite the detentions and heightened security, several AAP workers managed to reach the vicinity of Chadha’s residence and raised slogans against him.
The protest was called after Chadha announced his resignation from the AAP and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a move that has triggered sharp reactions within the party ranks. Police had tightened security arrangements in the area earlier in the day and detained key leaders.
Raghav Chadha Resigns From AAP; Joins BJP
Addressing a press conference, Chadha defended his decision, stating that the party had “deviated from its original path” and was no longer functioning in the interest of the country. “The AAP that I nurtured with my blood for 15 years has moved away from its founding principles. It is now working for personal gains rather than public welfare,” he said.
He further claimed that two-thirds of AAP’s Rajya Sabha MPs had decided to merge with the BJP. “We have decided that we, the two-thirds members belonging to the AAP in Rajya Sabha, exercise the provisions of the Constitution of India and merge ourselves with the BJP,” Chadha said, describing himself as a founding member who played a key role in building the party’s presence in Delhi and Punjab.
AAP leaders, meanwhile, have strongly criticised the development, terming it a betrayal of the party’s core ideology. The situation remains tense in Khar, with a heavy police presence continuing in the area to maintain law and order.
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