Manish Sisodia, 60 AAP MLAs detained enroute PM Modi’s residence

Mangalore Today/ PTI

New Delhi, June 26: Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and more than 60 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs were stopped near Tughlaq Road here and later detained by the police on Sunday, as they were enroute to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence at 7 Race Course Road in protest.

The bitter battle between the state government and the Centre escalated on Sunday as Sisodia dared Prime Minister Modi to arrest him on allegations of intimidating the businessmen of the Ghazipur Vegetable Market Association.

Sisodia requested the police to convey his message to the Prime Minister after being stopped.

"We want to tell the Prime Minister that don’t stop the work in Delhi. Why are you taking revenge on Delhi? You have enmity with me so arrest me. All the MLAs are going there," Sisodia told the media here.

Sisodia said he had gone to the Ghazipur vegetable market on Saturday for a surprise inspection, where he found out that few people were indulging in malpractice among other untoward activities.

"I scolded them and warned to take action against them. They are saying that I misbehaved with them. Of course I misbehaved. If any officer is not working properly, we will scold them. If we are being sent to jail for these, we are surrendering but don’t stop the work in Delhi," he added.

After the complaint was filed on Saturday, Sisodia, quickly turned to Twitter to state that the Prime Minister may turn the complaint into a case of extortion, violence and molestation and use it as an excuse to arrest him.

He also alleged that the people who filed the complaint were indulging in illegal activities in the market, where he had gone for a surprise inspection.

According to reports, the police said earlier that they have received a complaint from the president Surender Goswami, but no FIR would be registered as no cognizable offence was committed by Sisodia.