Delhi Police stops Arvind Kejriwal on his way to protest outside Home Ministry

New Delhi:  In an unprecedented situation, the Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal and his six cabinet ministers will sit in their cars that have been stopped by policemen at barricades erected near India Gate till noon today. They want to protest outside the office of Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde.

Here are 10 big developments in this story:

1. The police say they cannot allow Mr Kejriwal's blue WagonR car to proceed to the Home Minister's office in North Block near the President's residence, at least till rehearsals for the Republic Day parade are over at noon. Mr Kejriwal has rolled up the windows of his car and said he is prepared to wait. 
2. Mr Kejriwal and his Aam Aadmi Party ministers want the Home Minister to order the suspension of three policemen for alleged dereliction of duty. They had given the Centre till 10 am today to remove the cops. After that, they said, they would demonstrate at Mr Shinde's office.
3. The chief minister has asked people not to join his demonstration. Last night, he tweeted, "In view of republic day preps, i urge supporters and public not to come for dharna. Only MLAs will sit. No one else shud come pl. (sic)"
4. The Centre has imposed Section 144 which temporarily bans the gathering of groups when law and order is perceived to be at risk. The police said Mr Kejriwal does not have permission to hold a dharna, but they will decide on allowing him through the barricades after 12 pm.
5. Four Metro stations near North Block - Patel Chowk, Central Secretariat, Udyog Bhawan and Race Course - will remain closed from 9 am to 1 pm to ensure the public does not join the protest.   A disappointed commuter said an "aam aadmi" or common man's chief minister should not cause inconvenience to the people.
6. Asked how the Delhi government would run if he and his ministers were on protest, Arvind Kejriwal told NDTV in an interview that he would sign files from the dharna site.  
7. Mr Kejriwal has demanded action - suspension or at least a transfer - against cops who, he says, refused to cooperate with his Law Minister Somnath Bharti in cracking down on an alleged drug and prostitution racket. He also wants action against a policeman who had a showdown with another minister Rakhi Birla over a dowry case.
8. The Chief Minister has also accused the police of mishandling a gang-rape case; a 51-year-old Danish tourist was gang raped early last week in the heart of Delhi.
9. Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi has refused to suspend the cops - he points out that an enquiry is being conducted to determine the facts. About today's AAP protest, Mr Bassi said, "Whatever has to be done according to law will be done."
10. The Delhi Police reports to the Centre and not the state government. Mr Kejriwal told Mr Shinde at their Friday meeting that the AAP government wants control of the Delhi Police transferred to the state government to ensure better policing.