AAP says minister detained, police deny

NEW DELHI: Delhi Transport Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj was Monday detained by police during a mass protest, the Aam Aadmi Party ( AAP) said. Police denied the claim.

AAP leader Sanjay Singh said the minister was detained near where Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was holding an unprecedented protest in the heart of the capital.

But Joint Commissioner of Police Mukesh Kumar Meena said: "We deny that police detained him. He went and sat inside the police vehicle on his own."

Meena also denied that his men beat up AAP legislator from Model Town Akhileshpati Tripathi.

Minister Bhardwaj insisted that he was detained while trying to reach the protest site.

"I was with two volunteers when police threatened me ... and that I can be arrested. They took us to their van and detained us," he said.