The police arrested members of the Indian Gym Welfare Federation on Friday when they tried to stage a protest outside Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence, demanding to reopen gymnasiums across the city amid the COVID-19 pandemic, officials said.
Fifty-nine people, including three women, gathered outside the chief minister's residence in north Delhi's Civil Lines and expressed their disappointment at the AAP government not allowing to open gyms yet, they said.
They were detained and taken to the Civil Lines police station, where they were formally arrested. A case under section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and provisions of the Disaster Management Act and Epidemic Diseases Act was registered against them, a senior police officer said. However, they were released on bail later, the officer added.
Before heading towards Kejriwal's residence, the members of the federation blocked traffic near the Safdarjung Madarsa for over an hour. "We organised a chakka jam near the Safdarjung Madarsa in the morning. Vehicular traffic was affected for over an hour, but our intention was only to send a strong message to the Delhi government on the difficulties being faced by those in the gym business.
"Their livelihood is at stake. During the lockdown, business has been severely hit. When gyms have started functioning in other cities, why is the government not allowing to open gyms in Delhi?" Sunil Kumar, president of the federation, asked.
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