Yogendra Yadav detained with supporters outside Delhi Assembly

New Delhi, Nov 30: Expelled AAP leaders Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan were today detained along with their supporters as they staged a protest over the Janlokpal Bill outside the Delhi Assembly alleging that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had "diluted" the anti-graft measure.

"Those who claimed to be messiah of the Janlokpal movement are themselves killing it," Yadav said as he led the protestors who had gathered under the aegis of Swaraj Abhiyan accompanied by Bhushan and Anand Kumar.

DCP North Madhur Verma said, "Yadav, Bhushan and 150 protestors were detained and have been taken to the Maurice Nagar police station."

Bhushan claimed that they were detained on orders of the Delhi Assembly Speaker who had directed the police that the protestors should not be allowed to march to the gate of the Assembly where the Janlokpal Bill will be tabled by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia today.

On the Janlokpal bill, Bhushan said the 2015 bill was different from the 2014 one in several aspects and claimed that the 2015 bill gave more say in appointment and removal of Lokpal.

"The Bill has a provision of investigating Central government employees and the Centre will not allow this. Then Kejriwal will play a victim card. The 2014 Bill did not have the provision of investigating the Union government officials," Yadav said.

The AAP had shot back saying Bhushan should join the BJP for "shielding" Central government employees by opposing the clause.

Referring to Kejriwal hugging RJD President Lalu Prasad during the oath taking ceremony of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Yadav said, "They (Kejriwal supporters) were saying nothing happens in shaking hands or hugging as it is political courtesy.

Today, we see what happened due to that." "Four years ago we were against the arrogance of the government and we do that even today. Please don't forget that if the people bursted Narendra Modi, Manmohan Singh and Kapil Sibal bubble, they can also burst smaller bubbles," he added.

The protestors today carryied placards saying, 'Those who betray people are scared of an open public debate', a day after Bhushan had dared Kejriwal for an open debate on the Janlokpal bill.

PTI