Delhi assembly resolution asks for police to be under state govt ‘Conspiracy’ behind attack on CM: BJP
FIRST Union govt asked to amend Constitution, make cops accountable to state
NEW DELHI: The Delhi Assembly on Monday passed a resolution, asking the Union government to amend the Constitution of India to bring Delhi Police under the control of the state government of Delhi and to make the Capital’s police “accountable” to the state legislature.
While the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had been demanding control over the Delhi Police, this was the first time a resolution has been passed for the same in the House, a government spokesperson said.
“The Union government take immediate steps, in larger public interest, to bring the police in Delhi under the control of the elected government of NCT of Delhi and to make it accountable to the Legislative Assembly as in the case with any other state, by way of amending the Constitution and relevant laws,” reads the resolution passed on the first day of the special assembly session called by the AAP government, which was convened to discuss the “string of attacks” on chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, among other issues.
“In the meantime, pending such amendments, necessary steps be initiated by the government of India to devolve certain powers to the elected government so that it is in a position to have control over Delhi Police in implementing its decisions...” the resolution read.
Monday’s resolution was proposed by Delhi home minister Satyendar Jain, who presented numbers he claimed were from National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) on the “deteriorating” law-and-order situation in the national capital. Delhi Police,
BJP’S VIJENDER GUPTA AND REBEL AAP MLA KAPIL MISHRA WERE MARSHALLED OUT OF THE DELHI ASSEMBLY ON MONDAY
however, said the figures quoted by Jain were “incorrect”.
The Delhi Police currently reports to the Union home ministry through the lieutenant-governor.
The one-day session was later extended for another day. Senior government officials said the issue of the alleged “deletion” of names of voters from electoral rolls would be taken up for discussion on Tuesday.
‘PM CAN’T PROTECT CM’
Speaking towards the end of the nearly five-hour-long debate, Kejriwal targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and lieutenant-governor (L-G) Anil Baijal for “failing to ensure the security of an elected chief minister”.
“If PM Narendra Modi cannot ensure security of an elected CM, he should resign. Or else, people will think that PM Modi has attacked Delhi’s residents and he is taking revenge from the people of Delhi,” said Kejriwal, adding that he has “no grudges against 95% of Delhi Police personnel” and did not approve of demands to exclude them from the state government’s compensation scheme.
The AAP chief said the “string of attacks on him were planned by the BJP because they cannot see a common man like him as chief minister of Delhi”.
“The L-G has time for smalltime BJP leaders but he doesn’t want to meet our ministers,” Kejriwal said.
Calling the special session a waste of taxpayers’ money, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said the AAP claims were a diversionary tactic to deflect attention from real issues. “The CM should tell people why taxpayers’ money is being wasted on the special sessions and not on discussing issues like pollution, water crisis and poor condition of health, etc,” said Ravindra Gupta, general secretary, Delhi BJP.
The L-G’S office, however, did not respond to queries despite repeated attempts.
The Delhi Police, meanwhile, alleged that Jain had quoted “incorrect” figures. “As regards the alleged incident of attack on the Hon’ble CM, prompt legal action was taken by police and further investigation of the case is being conducted professionally and expeditiously as per law,” said Delhi police spokesperson, Madhur Verma. “It is incorrect to state that National Capital Territory of Delhi is the national crime capital as the heinous crime registered in NCT of Delhi has declined from the year 2016 to 2017,” Verma added. NEW DELHI : Leader of the Opposition Vijender Gupta and rebel AAP MLA Kapil Mishra were marshalled out of the Delhi Assembly on Monday after they refused to comply with the Speaker’s orders during the special session called to discuss the recent attack on chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.
While Mishra tried to raise the issue of strike by DTC staffers and illegal immigrants in Delhi, Gupta demanded a high-level police probe into the alleged attack to expose the AAP’S “deeprooted conspiracy” behind it.
Mishra was marshalled out minutes after the session commenced.
Later, he tweeted that in the last-three-and-half years, he was sent out of the assembly “a record 19 times”.
Gupta, BJP MLA from Rohini, was sent out of the House as he disrupted home minister Satyendar Jain’s speech while proposing a resolution to bring police under the control of the Delhi government. Jain slammed the Bjp-led Union government and Delhi police over security issues, including the recent attack on the chief minister.
Despite Speaker Ram Niwas Goel warning him, Gupta objected to the minister’s speech alleging he was misguiding the house and lying about the attack on the chief minister. After one such disruption, Goel asked marshals to take him out. “I did not do anything wrong. I was talking to the CM on how the minister in the Delhi government was misleading the house by lying on attacks on the CM,” Gupta said. Two other BJP MLAS, OP Sharma and Jagdish Pradhan, also left the session after Gupta was sent out.
With AAP stepping up the attack on the Centre, Gupta later sought a police investigation into the attack on the chief minister at the Delhi Secretariat. “A highlevel police probe will expose the deep-rooted conspiracy of the AAP behind the incident. It is surprising that the Delhi government has not registered an FIR so far. The police must find out how and why the alleged attacker was allowed entry into the secretariat,” said Gupta.
Calling the special session a waste of taxpayers’ money, the BJP said that this is a diversionary tactics to deflect attention from real issues.
“The chief minister should tell people why taxpayers’ money is being wasted on the special sessions and not on discussing issues like pollution, water crisis and poor condition of health, etc.,” said Ravindra Gupta, general secretary, Delhi BJP. On Monday, BJP leaders and supporters gathered at Chandgi Ram Akhara to march to the Delhi Assembly but they were stopped midway by the Delhi Police.