AAP Alleges Delhi Police Detained Kondli MLA Kuldeep Kumar From His Residence
The Aam Aadmi Party on Tuesday alleged that the Delhi Police picked up its Kondli MLA Kuldeep Kumar from his East Delhi residence early in the morning and moved him to an undisclosed location.
AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal questioned the whereabouts of the lawmaker and demanded an explanation from the Delhi Police, stating that the MLA was taken away from his home around 4 a.m. on August 18.
In a statement posted on X, Mr. Kejriwal alleged that police personnel entered Mr. Kumar's residence, broke security CCTV cameras, and confiscated the digital video recorder (DVR) before taking the legislator into custody. Mr. Kejriwal questioned the legality of the action, asserting that if the police could pick up an elected MLA from his house without explanation or formal reason, common citizens would be left with nowhere to seek help.
AAP Delhi unit President Saurabh Bharadwaj claimed that approximately 20 police personnel dressed in plain clothes arrived at Mr. Kumar's house to take him away. Party leaders linked the police action to the MLA's active backing of sanitation workers who have been protesting the killing of Anil, an on-duty sanitation worker in Kalyanpuri.
The protesting workers have been demanding financial compensation of ₹1 crore for the victim's family, along with a permanent government job for one family member. Mr. Bharadwaj further alleged that police officials were pressuring the deceased worker's family to conduct the cremation.
Several senior AAP leaders, including Atishi, Sanjay Singh, and Sanjeev Jha, questioned the police operation and demanded immediate clarity on Mr. Kumar's location. Ms. Atishi announced that the party would file a habeas corpus petition in the Delhi High Court at 2 p.m. to challenge the undisclosed detention.
The tension followed an agitation on Monday at Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital, where hundreds of sanitation workers and auto-tipper drivers protested against Anil's death. The demonstrators had refused to permit the removal of the body from the hospital mortuary for the final rites.
The Delhi Police did not issue an immediate response to the allegations raised by the AAP leadership.
