Mumbai:
A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered by the Mumbai Police against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal.
Mr Kejriwal, who was in Mumbai to campaign for his party for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, has been booked for disobedience of orders and unlawful assembly. Some other AAP workers have been booked as well. The FIR has been registered at the Airport Police Station on the complaint of Police Sub-Inspector Sukhdev Chavan.
The Aam Aadmi Party says it had intimated the police about all their plans and had taken all necessary permissions but the police say the AAP conducted programmes they did not have permission for.
The chaos that Mumbai experienced yesterday, AAP says, was because the police failed to anticipate and plan for the crowds that turned up to see Mr Kejriwal. In a press release today, AAP blamed the media for the chaos.
"While we understand their pursuit of exclusive visuals, we are afraid that the media zeal led to a total breakdown of law and order... We state that whatever little disturbances that caused during Arvind Kejriwal's visit, it was due to poor handling of law and order of the overzealous media, who risked public safety in their quest for visuals," a statement by AAP said.
The party has also denied allegations that they did not have permissions. The statement further says, "We had all requisite permission for three vehicles and a padyatra alongside, and that is exactly what we adhered to."
On Wednesday the Mumbai Police had fined autorickshaw drivers for carrying more than the number of permitted passengers. Defending the autorickshaw drivers, the Aam Aadmi Party said, "A volunteer took it upon himself to hop in to the auto and field off the cameras to ensure safety. We regret his enthusiasm led to breaking of the law but there were no police personnel to ward of the chasing cameras."