Fourteen arrested in India over Delhi clashes

Police in New Delhi detain 14 after clashes between AAP and BJP supporters a day earlier.

Arvind Kejriwal has urged his AAP supporters to refrain from violence [AFP]

Indian police say they have arrested 14 people after supporters of rival political parties clashed in the streets of the capital, wounding dozens of people.

The clashes occurred on Wednesday evening, after the country’s Election Commission announced earlier in the day that India’s general election will start April 7.

The clashes erupted after members of the Aam Admi Party (AAP) gathered to protest outside the main office of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in New Delhi.

The AAP supporters were protesting after police in the western state of Gujarat briefly stopped its leader Arvind Kejriwal, who is on a tour of the state.

BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi, is the chief minister of Gujarat. While Kejriwal accused Modi of harassing him, he later urged his supporters to remain non-violent.

Police spokesman Rajan Bhagat said on Thursday that the 14 who were arrested were accused of rioting and assembling illegally.

Similar clashes also occurred in Lucknow, the capital of northern Uttar Pradesh state.

The run-up to the election has exposed widespread disgust in India over corruption and disenchantment with the storied Nehru-Gandhi political dynasty.

Source: Al Jazeera, News Agencies