[1]RTI crusader and former Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal on Monday accused the Delhi Police of unnecessarily troubling and harassing the volunteers of India Against Corruption (IAC).
Kejriwal said the Delhi Police lodged five FIRs against him and his other group members after the protests on August 26, and added that the volunteers of India Against Corruption are being troubled from the very next day without any reasons.
"Almost every day around 50 persons are called to the police station and are made to sit there without any reason. We just want to say that we are responsible for whatever that took place on August 26. So, we are going to the police station today," said Kejriwal.
"Our fight is against corruption and if we are guilty in the eyes of the law, then we accept our mistakes. Give us some punishment, but don't trouble the common man," he added.
Kejriwal informed that he has also written a letter to Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in which he has asked for the mistakes that were committed by him during the protests on August 26.
"We were just marching towards the residences of the Prime Minister, Sonia Gandhi and Nitin Gadkari on August 26th. We just wanted to tell them that over Rs. two lakh crores of coals of the country have been stolen and asked them to catch the thieves," said Kejriwal.
"We asked them to cancel the coal block allocations made. We went to lodge a theft report there, but they are now arresting us," he added.
Kejriwal criticized the Prime Minister, saying if he believes that the common man of the country has become a threat for him then he has lost their trust and faith.
"When we were marching towards the Prime Minister's residence that day, they (police) imposed Section 144 saying that we were a threat to the Prime Minister's security. I believe that if the common man becomes a threat for the Prime Minister, then he has lost the trust of the masses," he said.
Kejriwal also took a jibe at the ruling Congress Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), saying the common man of the country knows quite well the persons involved in spreading riots.
"The first allegation that has been levelled against us is that we broke Section 144. Yes we have done it. But if you impose it through unconstitutional means, we will again do that," said Kejriwal.
"The second allegation that has been levelled against us is that we spread riot. You ask the people of the country, who are spreading riots in the country, the BJP, the Congress or Team Anna. If raising voice against corruption is spreading riots, then we have done it," he added.
Kejriwal further informed that FIRs have been registered against him, Prashant Bhushan, Manish Sisodia, Kumar Vishas and Gopal Rai.
Kejriwal arrived at the Parliament Street police station here to carry forward his demand that the volunteers detained during August 26 protest should not be subjected to harassment in the name of collecting evidence.
It may be recalled here that Delhi Police had earlier on August 26 arrested Kejriwal, Sisodia, Kumar Vishwas and Prashant Bhushan for violating Section 144 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Delhi Police had detained Kejriwal for two hours on August 26 for protesting outside the residences of the Prime Minister and Congress President Sonia Gandhi without permission.
Delhi Police had then denied permission for the protest, as Parliament was in session and prohibitory orders were in place. It also said that no protest could be allowed in the high-security areas.
They had also said that India Against Corruption had failed to control a protest that was held in New Delhi in August.
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