NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and expressed his dissatisfaction with the functioning of Delhi Police and Anti-Corruption Branch chief M K Meena. And Kejriwal told the PM that the Delhi Police were “at war with his government”.
Accompanied by his deputy Manish Sisodia, the CM also apprised the Prime Minister of the ongoing tussle with Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung.
“We met the Prime Minister and told him that Delhi and its people will benefit only if the Centre and state governments were to work in tandem. It is important that the political ideologies of the two governments do not interfere with the work,” Kejriwal told reporters after meeting.
Regarding the turf war with Jung, Kejriwal asked the Prime Minister how many times the state government’s orders were declared null and void by the then Gujarat Governor, when he served as the state’s chief minister.
According to Kejriwal, he had briefed Modi on the manner in which the AAP MLAs were allegedly being targeted by Delhi Police. “It looks like Delhi Police are at war with the Delhi government and that is dangerous for democracy. When there was a strike of transporters and doctors, the police were trying to escalate the protest. They are focusing on how to arrest the MLAs. If the police create problems, there will be chaos and the crime rate will increase,” Kejriwal said.
Sources said the Prime Minister assured the Chief Minister saying that he would look into the issues raised by him. Kejriwal also launched an attack on Meena calling him corrupt. Meena reacted angrily and said that he was exploring legal options to file a case against the Chief Minister.
Kejriwal said, “I told him that the Anti-Corruption Branch was working absolutely fine before June 8 and then a corrupt officer was deputed as ACB chief. I told the Prime Minister that we will fulfil his dreams of Swacch Bharat, Skill India and Digital India and will do the work from which he will earn fame when he goes abroad. We will do all that but we need his cooperation,” he said.
Sources in the government said that during the much- awaited interaction, Kejriwal also discussed the land crunch for development projects and transfer and postings of bureaucrats.