AAP MLA Sanjheev Jha detained for trying to stage counter hunger strike against Kapil Mishra

Aam Aadmi Party MLA Sanjeev Jha was detained by Delhi police on Saturday for trying to stage a hunger strike in front of the residence of suspended party member Kapil Mishra.

Burari legislator Jha was taken into custody as he along with around 30 supporters went to protest outside Mishra's Civil Lines residence without taking permission from the Delhi police in a latest drama in the ongoing power struggle in Delhi's ruling party.

Mishra is on a hunger strike at his residence for the past four days demanding that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal reveal the source of funding of the foreign trips of five AAP leaders - Sanjay Singh, Ashish Khetan, Satyendar Jain, Raghav Chadhha and Durgesh Pathak - in the last two years.

Mishra was removed as a Delhi minister and later suspended from the AAP after he levelled corruption charges against Kejriwal.

"Delhi police took no action when Kapil Mishra sat on a dharna, but when I tried the same it detained me. The police, the Centre and Mishra are hand-in-gloves. I will continue my hunger



strike against Mishra wherever the police takes me," Jha said minutes before being taken away by the police in a bus.

Police said Jha along with 27 supporters were detained while they were marching towards Kapil Misha's home to sit on a protest.

"It is a preventive detention and they have been kept at Sarai Rohilla police station," an official said.

"One cannot be allowed to sit on a protest outside somebody's house. If Jha wants he can sit on a hunger strike at his own house, like Mishra is doing. Jha was even given the option to stage his protest at Jantar Mantar. But he refused, following which he was detained."

Supporters accompanying Jha told HT that the police were fully prepared and had barricaded the road about 300 metres away from Mishra's house.

Before coming to Civil Lines Jha had gone to Rajghat to seek blessings.

Police officials said Jha did not have permission for the sit-in hunger strike. "He could have gone to Jantar Mantar or Rajghat to do the strike. Nobody would have stopped him."