Kejriwal questions AAP MLA Kuldeep Kumar's detention, accuses Delhi Police of CCTV vandalism
Synopsis
Delhi Police allegedly detained AAP MLA Kuldeep Kumar at 4 am, smashing CCTV cameras at his home and seizing the DVR — all while he was seeking justice for a 24-year-old Dalit sanitation worker stabbed to death on duty in Kalyanpuri. With Kejriwal confronting the PM publicly on X and thousands of sanitation workers protesting, this is shaping into one of the sharpest AAP-Centre flashpoints of the year.
Key Takeaways
AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal alleged that Delhi Police detained MLA Kuldeep Kumar from his home at 4 am on 18 August , smashing CCTV cameras and seizing the DVR.
MCD sanitation worker Anil Kumar, 24 , was stabbed to death while on duty in Kalyanpuri, Delhi on Sunday; police arrested the accused the next day.
The deceased's family is demanding justice and ₹1 crore compensation before proceeding with cremation; AAP alleges police pressured them to conduct last rites.
AAP leader Sanjeev Jha waited outside the DCP Eastern Range office for over two-and-a-half hours without receiving any response.
Thousands of sanitation workers have reportedly been holding a sit-in protest for over two days following the killing.
Delhi Police had not publicly responded to the allegations as of Tuesday afternoon.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday, 18 August publicly demanded answers from the Centre over the detention of party MLA Kuldeep Kumar, alleging that Delhi Police picked up the legislator from his home at 4 am, smashed CCTV cameras on the premises, and seized the DVR. The incident comes amid a deepening political standoff over the murder of an MCD sanitation worker in New Delhi, with Kumar having been at the forefront of the family's demand for justice.
What Kejriwal Alleged
In a post on social media platform X, Kejriwal addressed Prime Minister Narendra Modi directly: 'Prime Minister Modi, where is our MLA Kuldeep Kumar? At 4 a.m., your Delhi Police picked up Kuldeep Kumar from his home, smashed the CCTV cameras, and took away the DVR. Your police are revealing nothing.'
He further wrote: 'If the police can pick up an MLA from his home in this manner — without any information or reason — then where is the helpless common man supposed to go in this country. This country will not tolerate such hooliganism from you.'
Kejriwal also shared a post by AAP leader Sanjeev Jha, who said people in plain clothes arrived at Kumar's residence at 4 am and took him away, adding that by afternoon there was still no information on his whereabouts.
AAP Leader's Account Outside DCP Office
Sanjeev Jha said he stood outside the DCP Eastern Range office for over two-and-a-half hours without receiving any response from police. 'My direct question to the Delhi Police Commissioner is — has raising one's voice for justice for Dalits now become a crime? Will a current MLA who speaks out against murder be intimidated into silence,' he said. He added: 'This arrogance is not right. Voices cannot be suppressed by the might of police uniforms and batons.'
The Murder That Sparked the Standoff
Anil Kumar, a 24-year-old MCD sanitation worker, was stabbed to death while on duty in Delhi's Kalyanpuri area on Sunday. CCTV footage reportedly showed the accused attacking him with a knife. Police arrested the accused the following day, Monday, though the identity of the accused has not yet been made public.
Thousands of sanitation workers have reportedly been holding a sit-in protest for over two days since the killing. The protesters are primarily demanding justice and a compensation of ₹1 crore for the deceased worker's family.
Allegations of Pressure on the Family
AAP Delhi state President Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that Delhi Police pressured the family of the deceased to conduct last rites against their wishes, moving the body from the hospital to the family's residence and subsequently urging relatives to proceed with cremation. The party also claimed that police took some family members away early in the morning.
AAP leaders stressed that the deceased belonged to a poor Dalit family and called on the Chief Minister Rekha Gupta government to listen to the family's demands rather than coerce them. The family has maintained it wants justice and a clear response from the Delhi government on compensation before proceeding with cremation. Delhi Police have not publicly responded to these allegations.
What Happens Next
As of Tuesday afternoon, the whereabouts of MLA Kuldeep Kumar remained unconfirmed by authorities. The episode is likely to sharpen the AAP's political offensive against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Centre and the Delhi Police, which functions under the Union Home Ministry. With the Dalit angle, sanitation worker protests, and an MLA's alleged detention converging, the controversy is expected to intensify in the coming days.
Point of View
Not the AAP-led city government, which means every law-and-order flashpoint in the capital carries an automatic political charge. The Dalit sanitation worker angle adds a layer that the BJP cannot easily deflect — the optics of pressuring a grieving Dalit family over last rites, if substantiated, would be deeply damaging. What mainstream coverage risks missing is the pattern: this is not the first time AAP leaders have alleged heavy-handed police action during politically sensitive protests in Delhi. Whether or not the specific CCTV vandalism claim holds up under scrutiny, the absence of any official explanation by Tuesday afternoon is a governance failure in its own right.
NationPress
18 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was AAP MLA Kuldeep Kumar allegedly detained?
According to AAP, Kuldeep Kumar was detained by Delhi Police at 4 am on 18 August in connection with his efforts to seek justice for the family of a murdered MCD sanitation worker. Police have not publicly stated any reason for the detention.
What happened to the MCD sanitation worker at the centre of this controversy?
Anil Kumar, a 24-year-old MCD sanitation worker, was stabbed to death while on duty in Delhi's Kalyanpuri area on Sunday. CCTV footage reportedly captured the attack; the accused was arrested the following day, though their identity has not been publicly released.
What are the family's demands?
The family of the deceased is demanding justice for the murder and a compensation of ₹1 crore from the Delhi government before they agree to proceed with cremation. AAP has alleged that Delhi Police pressured the family to conduct last rites against their wishes.
What did Delhi Police allegedly do at Kuldeep Kumar's residence?
AAP alleged that police personnel in plain clothes arrived at Kumar's home at 4 am, smashed the CCTV cameras on the premises, and seized the DVR before taking him away. Delhi Police had not publicly responded to these allegations as of Tuesday afternoon.
Who controls Delhi Police and why does it matter politically?
Delhi Police functions under the Union Home Ministry, which is controlled by the Centre rather than the Delhi state government. This means any allegation of police high-handedness in the capital directly implicates the BJP-led Central government, intensifying the political dimension of the standoff.
