AAP demands Manoj Tiwari's arrest

AAP accused Tiwari of "rioting" and "posing a threat" to the security of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwalduring the inauguration of the Signature Bridge

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday demanded the arrest of Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari for "rioting" and "posing a threat" to the security of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Tiwari and his supporters allegedly got into a scuffle with AAP members and police at the inaugural event of the newly-built Signature Bridge here on Sunday.

The BJP leader had gone to the event to stage a protest for allegedly not being invited to the inauguration despite being Member of Parliament from the area.

AAP's East Delhi Lok Sabha seat in-charge Atishi Marlena alleged Tiwari had gone to the venue for "rioting".

"Police was directly or indirectly involved in it and allowed Tiwari and his supporters to reach the stage where the chief minister and other ministers were present, thus posing a threat to their security," she said.

Senior AAP leader Dilip Pandey said a party worker, who was injured in Sunday's incident, has filed a police complaint.

The Delhi government is also exploring legal options in view of the Delhi police's "failure" to keep "BJP's hooligans" away from the venue, he added.

Pandey said Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh should salvage the image of the BJP and the Delhi Police by ordering Tiwari's arrest.

The BJP had on Sunday said that AAP MLA Amantullah Khan used abusive language and pushed Tiwari.

Panday said Khan did it to prevent Tiwari from getting onto the stage.

"Khan should not have pushed him. He was only trying to stop him from coming onto the stage, where Kejriwal and other leaders were present," he said.