Delhi’s ITO metro station is set to remain closed until 6 pm today, as announced by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on the X platform. The DMRC stated, “Following advice from the Delhi Police, the ITO Metro station will be closed from 08:00 AM to 06:00 PM today, March 22, 2024.” The temporary closure of the ITO metro station coincides with the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) planned protest in front of the headquarters of the PM Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), located near Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg, adjacent to the same metro station. The protest is scheduled to begin around 10 am, following the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday night in connection with the city’s excise policy case.
In anticipation of the AAP’s protest, the Delhi Police has already deployed barricades and increased its personnel presence in the ITO area.
The arrest of Kejriwal, 55, during the Lok Sabha election campaign, has sparked outrage among his party members. On Thursday, a large gathering of AAP workers and leaders assembled near the chief minister’s residence, chanting slogans in support of Kejriwal and condemning the ED’s actions.
The ED and the CBI have alleged that the Delhi government’s excise policy, which granted licenses to liquor traders, promoted cartelization and favored specific dealers who allegedly paid bribes. Kejriwal’s name has been mentioned multiple times in the charge sheets filed by the ED, which alleges that the accused were in contact with Kejriwal to devise the excise policy, resulting in undue benefits for them in exchange for kickbacks paid to the AAP.
The ED recently asserted in a statement that BRS leader Kavitha and others “conspired” with top AAP leaders like Kejriwal to receive favors under the now-defunct excise policy by paying ₹100 crore to AAP. AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh are currently in judicial custody in connection with the case.
