Agencies/New Delhi

Street clashes marred an announcement yesterday that India’s general election will start on April 7 as passions run high.
In Delhi and Lucknow, members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fought street battles with supporters of the Aam Aadmi Party hours after the announcement. Several people were injured and police used water cannons to disperse the crowds.
The violence broke out after AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal was stopped by police during a campaign in Gujarat. Supporters gathered outside BJP offices to protest his detention.
Raising slogans like “Modi, Arvind se darta hai, police ko aage karta hai (Modi is afraid of Arvind Kejriwal, puts police in front) and “Modi kuch to sharm karo (Modi, have some shame),” the AAP workers gathered outside the BJP office opposite the state legislature on Vidhan Sabha Marg in Lucknow.
Soon BJP workers came out and asked the protesters not to block the entry to the party office as visitors were finding it difficult to go in and out but the AAP workers refused to budge.
Soon the two sides came to blows. The BJP workers chased away the handful of AAP supporters and some were even attacked with canes and sticks.
Police from the nearby Hazratganj police station reached the scene and dispersed the unruly mob.
Earlier police briefly detained Kejriwal for holding a political roadshow in Gujarat without permission.
Kejriwal was taken to a police station in Radhanpur after arriving in the state run by opposition prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.
The 44-year-old, who had been planning a days-long political tour of Gujarat, was briefly detained for failing to adhere to an election code of conduct that requires prior police permission.
“Kejriwal did not have permission for a rally or procession, hence was detained for violation of code of conduct which came into force from today,” the senior magistrate of the local district told reporters.
The Aam Aadmi Party slammed the temporary detention as “high-handed behaviour”.
“We strongly object to this high-handed behaviour by the political establishment in Gujarat,” senior leader Kumar Vishwas said.