Ahmedabad/New Delhi, April 2 (NationPress) The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has raised concerns about a systematic approach to the arrests of its members in Gujarat as local body elections approach. National convenor Arvind Kejriwal has reached out to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, requesting a meeting and asserting these actions are a part of a “deliberate conspiracy” aimed at undermining the party.

In a letter made public on Thursday, Kejriwal indicated that over 160 party members have been detained in the last three months, with a notable escalation in arrests recently.

He connected this situation to the forthcoming civic elections, suggesting that “the Gujarat Police’s actions have escalated in anticipation of the local body elections, implying that the BJP seeks electoral advantage through police intervention.”

Kejriwal detailed a troubling trend in recent incidents, alleging that AAP workers were intercepted by unknown individuals, followed by police action that led to their apprehension on serious charges.

Referencing events in Khambhalia, Porbandar, and Jamnagar on March 30 and 31, he asserted that in each scenario, AAP workers faced charges while those who instigated the incidents were not held accountable.

“It seems as if crime branch officials are positioned nearby, ready to respond unilaterally to such situations,”

he remarked, noting that many cases included allegations of attempted murder.

The letter also claimed that police had visited the residences of party leaders and workers, issuing threats and advising them to exit the state or confront dire repercussions.

“There have been reports of plans to detain thousands more workers shortly, which could significantly hinder the party’s candidate nominations,”

he indicated.

Kejriwal expressed a desire to meet with CM Patel, stating that he, along with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, intends to address the matter.

This letter was released one day after state party president Isudan Gadhvi was detained, then later released by law enforcement.

Gadhvi had visited a police station to address the arrests of party workers.

Following his release, Gadhvi commented, “We aimed to present our case regarding our workers' arrests, but we were detained instead.”

He added that police had objected to video recording during their visit, explaining, “We were filming, which is why they detained us.”

Gadhvi claimed that similar incidents had occurred against party workers in various locations, following a similar pattern.

“There is a consistent trend in four to five areas where FIRs have been lodged in a comparable fashion,”

he noted, affirming that the party would persist with its efforts despite these arrests.