Delhi Chokes as CM Leaves Secretariat for the Streets

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and State ministers on Monday protested against alleged high-handedness of Delhi Police at Rail Bhavan here.

Kejriwal had on Friday met Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde seeking suspension of three SHOs related to cases of a Danish woman’s gang-rape, police denial to raid an alleged drug-cum-prostitution racket involving Ugandan nationals to Delhi Law Minister Somnath Bharti and a tiff with Women and Child Development Minister Rakhi Birla in the case of burning of a woman. While Bharti’s action drew strong criticism, Kejriwal claimed that a woman from the Ugandan Embassy met him praising their campaign against the prostitution racket.

The newly elected CM on Monday attended to his office work from the protest venue as he was seen reading official files and signing them. There were regular stand-offs between AAP volunteers and Delhi Police deployed at the spot. Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari had to face the ire as he was chased by AAP supporters while going to the Labour Ministry near the protest spot. Four Metro stations in the vicinity were closed for a few hours to stop AAP volunteers from reaching the venue. Kejriwal is also demanding that the Delhi Police be brought under the Delhi government rather than the Union Home Ministry.

In the evening, AAP volunteers alleged that they were beaten up by police and this resulted in heated arguments between senior police officers and AAP leaders. They alleged that AAP legislator Akhilesh Tripathi was injured, while Transport Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj was detained. Police denied both allegations. Both the Congress and the BJP came down heavily on Kejriwal saying his move was “anarchic and a gimmick”.

“The situation we have seen today on the streets of Delhi is anarchic. This is a mock-fight between AAP and its ally Congress. Such an agitation, which is taking place near Rajpath where the Republic Day rehearsals are on, affects the aam aadmi,” said BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman.