NEW DELHI: BJP leaders on Thursday slammed the AAP government for withdrawing DTC buses hired by police and paramilitary personnel amid the ongoing farmers' protest at the city borders, alleging that the ruling party was spreading "anarchy" for "political gains" in Punjab.
A senior Delhi Police officer said the force has been availing buses from the DTC for decades and it has requested the corporation to continue the service. No reaction was immediately available from the AAP and its government in Delhi.
The Delhi government on Wednesday decided to withdraw the DTC buses on special hire to various departments including those being used by security personnel with immediate effect, officials had said on Wednesday.
DCP (PRO) Chinmoy Biswal said, "For the maintenance of the public order, whenever a police arrangement is made, the force needs to be moved and transported to the designated places of deployment. For which, Delhi Transport Corporation has been providing buses for decades. So we expect continued cooperation from Delhi Transport Corporation and we have made a request in this regard."
BJP national general secretary (organisation) BL Santhosh tweeted "Delhi Govt under @ArvindKejriwal withdraws DTC buses given to Police & para military forces for bandobust duty. Delhiites will suffer for the Punjab aspirations of @AamAadmiParty. Anarchists indeed .
"This shows how the Arvind Kejriwal government is trying to spread 'anarchy' by taking back buses from police at a time when they are busy with dealing with security issues amid protests at city borders," alleged Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta.
"Delhi Police has always been a victim of cheap politics of Anarchist CM @arvindkejriwal. For their political interests, @aamaadmiparty has blamed Delhi Police for every act of violence in the city be it Jamia, JNU, Delhi Riots or Farmers protest violence," Gupta charged in a tweet.
New Delhi MP Meenakshi Lekhi said the Kejriwal government's decision smacked of "disregard" for cooperative federal culture of the country. "The decision by Kejriwal government seems to be purely political as the Chief Minister has Punjab polls in mind but such a move may lead to anarchy," she said.
The Assembly polls in Punjab are due in 2022. BJP MPs Ramesh Bidhuri, Parvesh Verma, Manoj Tiwari, Gautam Gambhir and Hansraj Hams also reacted sharply to the decision taken by Delhi government.
In a tweet, Bidhruri said that Delhi Police should also withdraw security provided to the chief minister. "Its unfortunate that Kejriwal has taken back buses to deploy police and para military forces for law and order. Delhi Police should immediately withdraw his security because the buses were meant for law and order and security of people in Delhi," Bidhuri said.
Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri asked the chief minister to withdraw the decision. "Arvind Kejriwal ji you may do Punjab politics we do not have any objection but do not throw Delhi in anarchy for your politics. Withdraw the decision to stop the bus service to Delhi Police and paramilitary personnel," Bidhuri tweeted.
The farmers mainly from Punjab, Haryana and UP are protesting at Delhi border that have been fortified with barricades, cement blocks, concertina wires, spikes and deployment of heavy police and para military personnel.
The AAP which is main opposition party in Punjab has extended tacit support to the farmers agitation and tried to provide them water, wifi, food and other facilities besides joining in their demand for scrapping of Centre's agri laws.