Political standoff erupts after sanitation worker's death in East Delhi
New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party on Tuesday accused the Delhi Police of taking its East Delhi MLA, Kuldeep Kumar, to an "undisclosed location" during protests over the death of an on-duty sanitation worker, sharpening a dispute that has drawn hundreds of sanitation workers and auto‑tipper drivers onto the streets.
AAP's Delhi unit president Saurabh Bharadwaj said in a post on X that at about 4 am a group of around 20 policemen in plain clothes arrived and "kidnapped" the MLA. Bharadwaj alleged the MLA had been supporting sanitation workers pressing for compensation after the killing of a worker — identified in police and protest accounts as Anil — in Kalyanpuri.
"Today, at 4 am, around 20 policemen came in plain clothes and kidnapped AAP MLA Kuldeep Kumar…They demanded that CM Rekha Gupta meet the family, but instead of meeting the protesters, they have taken MLA Kuldeep Kumar to an undisclosed location," Bharadwaj posted on X.
The party also charged that police were pushing the family to proceed with the cremation and accused officers of "forcibly performing the cremation of the deceased sanitation worker." There was no immediate response from the Delhi Police to these allegations.
Protesters' demands and the impasse
According to AAP statements, thousands of sanitation workers staged demonstrations for two days following the killing, demanding ₹1 crore in compensation for the deceased worker's family and a permanent government job for one family member. Protesters had blocked removal of the body from a hospital mortuary and threatened to keep auto‑tippers off Delhi roads until demands were met.
- Demand: ₹1 crore compensation and a permanent government job for a family member.
- Action: Hundreds of sanitation workers and auto‑tipper drivers protested at Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital and refused to allow the body to be taken for last rites.
- Authorities: AAP says police moved the body from hospital to the worker's home and attempted to conduct the cremation.
Hundreds of workers and drivers from across Delhi had gathered at Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital on Monday to protest the killing and press their compensation demand, the party said. AAP leaders said the MLA had been representing the protesters' request that Chief Minister Rekha Gupta meet the family, and criticised the police for not facilitating such a meeting.
Official responses and the law-and-order angle
The accusations add to tensions between the city administration, police and worker groups. The Delhi Police did not immediately issue a statement responding to the AAP's charge that its MLA had been taken to an undisclosed location or that they were forcing the cremation.
Neither the city government nor the office of the Chief Minister had issued an immediate public reply addressing demands for compensation or the party's allegation about the MLA's detention at the time of filing.
| Item | Reported detail |
|---|---|
| Victim | Anil, on‑duty sanitation worker from Kalyanpuri |
| Protest site | Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital, Delhi |
| Demands | ₹1 crore compensation; permanent government job for a family member |
| Political actor | AAP MLA Kuldeep Kumar; AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj |
The dispute has immediate implications for municipal services and traffic in the capital should auto‑tippers follow through on threats to halt operations. It also places a spotlight on the handling of protests involving essential workers and the interplay between elected representatives and police action.
Legal and administrative follow‑ups are likely: families and worker unions may pursue formal compensation claims, while political parties could demand clarifications in the Assembly. For now, the main facts reported by party leaders are the alleged early‑morning detainment of an MLA by plainclothes officers and the contention that police sought to complete the cremation despite protesters' objections.
Further developments will depend on official statements from the Delhi Police and the city administration, and on whether the protesters maintain their blockade or agree to negotiations.
