CM Rekha Gupta accuses opposition parties of creating chaos during Delhi protests

New Delhi, India: Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has accused Congress, AAP, left parties and the CJP of creating chaos during protests in the capital. She also praised Delhi Police for handling the situation and ensuring public safety.

In a post on X, CM Rekha Gupta called the scenes on Delhi’s streets unfortunate and alleged that protesters tried to provoke police personnel and other security forces, leading to a tense situation.

"What happened on the streets of Delhi today is extremely unfortunate. People from Congress AAP Left CJP openly wreaked havoc in the name of protest. The Delhi Police, engaged in ensuring law and order, and all security forces were provoked, and deliberate attempts were made to create a confrontational situation. My brothers and sisters of Delhi, we are grateful to you for the patience and wisdom you demonstrated during this difficult time. The professional agitators made every effort to spoil Delhi's atmosphere of harmony, but due to the dedication of our police and security forces, everything remained fine," she said in an X post.

She thanked Delhi residents for remaining calm and patient during the protests. The Chief Minister also praised police personnel for keeping their composure and managing the situation while prioritising the safety of ordinary people. Chief Minister said her government would not allow protests to disrupt the daily lives of Delhi residents. She added that the police and administration would take necessary action in accordance with the law.

"I especially commend the Delhi Police personnel. They did not lose their patience. With complete responsibility and prudence, they managed the situation and gave top priority to the safety of ordinary citizens. We will ensure that there is no disruption of any kind to the safety, convenience, and normal daily life of Delhi residents. The law will carry out its work with full firmness," she added in the post.

On Saturday, Delhi witnessed heightened security, mass detentions and a political showdown on Saturday as the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led protest at Jantar Mantar, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, was met with a heavy police deployment.

Police detained activists from an aircraft, barricades were erected at the Ghazipur border, and gates at 45 Metro stations remained closed, triggering allegations of a crackdown on democratic rights and a counterattack from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Delhi Police sources have since said that all the detainees from the detention centres have been released except CJP leaders, as due legal process will be followed for them.

Police sources also said the heavy security deployment would continue, anticipating fresh protest calls from the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), the All India Youth Federation (AIYF), the All India Students Federation (AISF) and the Students' Federation of India (SFI).

The day's most striking development came before the protest could begin, when Delhi Police personnel detained CJP activists Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das as they were about to disembark from their flight in Delhi. They were informed that their proposed protest did not have permission.

Amid the standoff, police informed Dipke that his grandmother had died following a prolonged illness in Santuk Pimpri village in Maharashtra's Hingoli district. Officials said they conveyed the news "with due sensitivity", informed him about the funeral timings and offered assistance to help him travel home on humanitarian grounds.

Several Opposition leaders were also detained during the day's developments.

AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal and CPI(M) leader MA Baby were among those detained, while Left leaders, including Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and MP John Brittas, were held following a protest outside Kerala Bhawan. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and several Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs were also allegedly detained. (ANI)