Delhi Cong chief held for defying lockdown curbs, released on bail

nNEW DELHI: The Delhi Police on Sunday arrested Delhi Congress president Anil Chaudhary for allegedly violating lockdown orders. He was later released on bail. According to the police, Chaudhary was asked to remain home and refrain from visiting the Ghazipur border in east Delhi, but he is alleged to have mobilised migrant workers and visited the spot.

The deputy commissioner of police (east), Jasmeet Singh, said Chaudhary was booked under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code for violating the provisions of the lockdown.

Chaudhary said he was at Ghazipur to help migrant workers with food and water. “If this is the crime that I am being booked for, then all the Congress workers and I will keep committing this crime,” he said.

A senior police officer, who did not want to be named, said Chaudhary and his workers had visited Ghazipur on Saturday night, after which the gathering of migrant labourers swelled suddenly. Many of them had also hidden in trucks and tempos arriving at the Ghazipur vegetable market, according to the officer.

“There were allegations that many migrant workers were being transported across Delhiuttar Pradesh border with the help of people with links to political parties. As a precautionary measure, we placed Chaudhary under preventive detention and asked him not to visit the area until the situation is completely under control,” the officer said.

Chaudhary said, “We have been working to help migrant labourers for weeks. We have converted our state unit office into a shelter facility for them.”

The Delhi Congress lashed out at the police and the Central government. “This [helping the migrant labourers] is the job the government should be doing. But they are not even allowing other people to help them... ,” said Abhishek Dutt, vice-president of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee.

The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) national secretary, RP Singh, said help from all quarters is welcome, but people have to follow the law. “They should take necessary permission from the subdivisional magistrate. There is no point blaming the Centre or police, as a law has been put in place to fight the disease.”