NEW DELHI:The face-off between AAP government and the Delhi Police has thrown the capital into chaos. A section of the force is busy dealing with AAP legislators and volunteers daily instead of controlling law-and-order situations.
The city police reports to Home Ministry. Hence, AAP is lashing out at them using every possible platform available. During the 49-day rule last year, Arvind Kejriwal took to the streets to get five cops suspended. This time, they are taking help from the state government machinery to bring the police to heel.
The recent confrontation between both over Rajasthan farmer Gajender Singh’s suicide, with the state government planning to approach a city court to file a criminal case against the police for not co-operating in the probe is a sign of this. During the past two months, the AAP government has been ordering magisterial inquiries into around 10 criminal cases, especially, those related to AAP leaders and volunteers. The orders are being turned down by the Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung. The police say that as per section 146 of the Delhi Police Act, lawmen have the power to probe criminal cases and suicide. In the case of any doubt, the police will take legal opinion. The tussle between the AAP government and the Delhi Police over Gajendra Singh’s death is slowing down the investigation drastically.
Immediately after coming to power, AAP legislators had started camping at police stations to get FIRs registered. When the cops refused to oblige them in cases they found no substance, the legislators started filing written complaints against them. In one instance, when the police refused to file a case as demanded by the AAP leaders, they attacked the officers. Two AAP MLAs—Sanjeev Jha (Burari) and Akhilesh Pati Tripathi (Model Town) —incited a mob to storm the police station in Burari on February 21. In defense, the Kejriwal government ordered a magisterial inquiry into the case. It was eventually turned down by Jung.
“AAP leaders are interfering in our day-to-day functioning, seeking reports and pressing their agendas,” said a senior cop.
AAP leaders allegedly resort to yelling and screaming, holding the police responsible for the law and order mess in the city. The state government’s first attempt was to has curtailed the special powers of the Traffic Police to impound autorickshaws, and taxis in cases of minor traffic violations, including refusal by drivers and driving without uniform.
The decision was taken at a meeting of State Transport Authority and a notification was issued in this regard. Several years ago, the state government had given special powers to traffic police under Rule 66/192 A of the Motor Vehicles Act to seize any vehicles for overcharging, refusing a passenger, driving without PSV badges, uniform and misbehaviour by drivers. It has been withdrawn.
When this did not still bring the police down, Kejriwal, in a missive to the Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi wrote, “As per notification No SO 853(E) dated September 24, 1998 issued by President of India, the LG (Lieutenant Governor) has to exercise his powers with respect to police in consultation with the Chief Minister.” He has sought information relating to posting of all constables, head constables, assistant inspectors and inspectors of the force from Bassi. The Commissioner did not reply and sought suggestions from the Ministry of Home Affairs on how to deal with the matter. Kejriwal then sought information about beat constables, saying that he has received many complaints about their non-accessibility, during patrol duty. He also demanded that the cops install CCTV cameras in all police stations. Following this demand, a few Station House Officers have banned mobile phones inside police stations that AAP volunteers in disguise would start surreptituously recording the goings on to suit their purpose.
After AAP formed the government, they came to know that corruption cases against members of Delhi Police will be probed by the CBI and not the Anti-Corruption Bureau of the state government. From Kejriwal to AAP young leader Adarsh Shastri, everyone in the party condemned this rule and passed a resolution in the state assembly.
Despite knowing that Delhi police officials can’t be investigated by the Anti -Corruption Bureau, AAP leaders have forced ACB to start registering corruption cases against cops. The police reported the matter to Home Ministry and even sought legal opinion to challenge the AAP government in the court. Recently, the state government has trained its guns on the police and sought details and figures of all post mortem reports done in various hospitals in last five years.
When Kejriwal found that the state home secretary Arvind Ray was reluctant to find legal loopholes against the police, sources say he was transferred immediately and Dharampal appointed in his place. A section of bureaucrats supporting AAP feels that the police should be brought under the state government.