70 BJP councillors detained outside Kejriwal residence

New Delhi : Police on Friday detained around 70 BJP councillors from outside Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence while staging a protest.

A BJP leader told IANS earlier that 120 councillors were arrested.

"We detained the protesters but let them go after half hour. No arrests were made," Deputy Commissioner of Police Madhur Verma told IANS.

The protesters were demanding the release of funds for salaries of the striking sanitation workers.

The group was led by Subhash Arya, a senior Bharatiya Janata Party councillor who sought the release of funds from Kejriwal as per the Fourth Delhi Finance Commission (FDFC).

The police forcibly removed the demonstrators who were taken to the Civil Lines and Maurice Nagar police stations.

Delhi BJP President Manoj Tiwari accused Kejriwal of evading his responsibility towards the national Capital.

"It is really strange that while Delhi is facing a sanitation and primary health crisis, the CM is busy campaigning in Punjab," Tiwari said.

"BJP's Municipal Councillors have been trying to meet Kejriwal but the Chief Minister is evading responsibility towards the citizens of Delhi," Tiwari said in a statement.

The protest followed a week-long strike by sanitation workers of East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) who did not receive salaries in the last few months.

The BJP-controlled municipal corporation cited lack of budget for the non-payment of salaries.