Amit Shah, Kejriwal spar over Shaheen Bagh protests as Delhi poll campaign turns bitter

As the campaigning for upcoming Delhi assembly elections turns bitter, BJP leader Amit Shah and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal sparred over the ongoing anti-CAA protests at Shaheen Bagh on Monday.

Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal launched a direct attack on the BJP and said its leaders should talk to protesters and get the road opened as people are facing problems. 

“People are facing problems due to closed road in Shaheen Bagh. I can give you this in writing, BJP does not want to open the route in Shaheen Bagh. The Shaheen Bagh stretch of the Kalindi Kunj road (where anti-CAA protests are going on) will remain closed till February 8 (election day) and it will open February 9,” Kejriwal said.

"People are facing problems due to the closed road in Shaheen Bagh. BJP does not want to open the road. BJP is doing dirty politics. BJP leaders should immediately go and talk to Shaheen Bagh and open the way," he said in a tweet in Hindi.

Delhi Assembly elections will be held on February 8 while counting of votes will be conducted on February 11. The ruling AAP is locked in a triangular contest with the BJP and the Congress but is favourite to retain the Union Territory. 

Amit Shah also addressed a rally in Delhi where he asked Kejriwal if he was in the favour of action against Shaheen Bagh protesters or not.

Referring to an alleged seditious speech by Sharejeel Imam, a former JNU student and one of the earlier organisers of the protest in South East Delhi area, Shah said, "You must have watched the video of Sharjeel Imam, he said "cut the chicken neck & cut-off North-East from India" he talked about dividing the country. Modi government told Delhi police & they have registered a sedition case against him." 

"Kejriwal ji are you in favour of action against Sharjeel Imam or not? Are you in favour of those at Shaheen Bagh or not? Make it clear to the people of Delhi," Shah said at Rithala. 

Shaheen Bagh is a common theme in election rallies of both Amit Shah and BJP president JP Nadda.

On Sunday, both the leaders addressed back to back rallies in the national capital and mentioned the Delhi locality in their speeches. 

Massive protests have erupted across the country against the controversial citizenship law and the NRC. In South East Delhi's Shaheen Bagh, women have been sitting on protest since December 15 last year. Inspired by the Shaheen Bagh protests, similar protests led by women have cropped up in various parts of the country.  

The new law promises citizenship to members of 6 non-Muslim communities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh who entered India before December 31, 2014.

Critics say that the new law is against the secular nature of the Indian Constitution and clubbed with the NRC may be misused to strip away some Muslims' citizenship in the country. The BJP, however, has argued that the law has nothing to do with India's Muslims and only helps those who fled religious persecution in the neighbouring countries.