120 BJP councillors arrested outside Kejriwal's residence

The agitating group was led by Subhash Arya, a senior BJP councillor who demanded the release of the municipal funds from Kejriwal as per the Fourth Delhi Finance Commission (FDFC).

New Delhi, Jan 13: The Delhi Police on Friday arrested over 120 BJP councillors from outside Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence, where they were staging a protest.

They were demanding the release of funds for salaries of the striking sanitation workers. The agitating group was led by Subhash Arya, a senior BJP councillor who demanded the release of the municipal funds from Kejriwal as per the Fourth Delhi Finance Commission (FDFC).

The police had to forcibly remove the agitators, who were take to the Civil Lines and Maurice Nagar police stations. The protest came in the wake of a week-long strike by sanitation workers of East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) who did not receive their salaries in the last few months.

The striking workers, too, had staged a demonstration against Kejriwal on January 9, at the EDMC headquarters in Shahdara by burning his effigy. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has cited lack of budget for the non-payment of workers' salaries.

The Delhi Government was accused by the MCD for this budget crisis since the former failed to finalise the relevant clauses in the FDFC 2009, which would have been a shot in the arm for the financially infirm municipal body. The MCD is controlled by the BJP who has a majority in the civic body.

IANS