BJP, LG DISRUPTING INSTALLATION OF CCTV CAMERAS IN CITY: KEJRIWAL
CM with HIS CABINET Colleagues AND AAP MLAS sit on DHARNA near LG office
NEW DELHI: Alleging that the CCTV project is being delayed by the LG and the BJP, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal with his cabinet colleagues and AAP MLAS sat on a dharna for over three hours near LG Anil Baijal's office. Kejriwal and his colleagues sat on ‘dharna' after the police officials deployed at LG'S office told the chief minister that he and his ministers can meet Baijal, but the AAP legislators will not be allowed to go with them.
The dharna began around 3:30 pm and ended at 6:40 pm with Kejriwal vowing to reach out to people to tell them that the “BJP and the LG are disrupting the installation of CCTV cameras in the city”.
In counterclaim, Baijal said that no proposal of CCTV Cameras was sent to the LG, yet Kejriwal was leading protest misleading the public.
“LG is refusing to meet the MLAS. We want him to meet all of us including the MLAS,” Kejriwal told media persons after he with all cabinet members and MLAS marched from CM residence to LG office despite the afternoon heat.
The CM wants to discuss the CCTV project with the LG who has constituted a high-level committee to draft a framework for the installation of CCTV cameras. The formation of the committee has been objected by Kejriwal who has alleged that the committee has been formed to stop the project. However, the LG has refuted the allegations. “LG easily meets BJP MLAS, but he is refusing to meet AAP MLAS,” said deputy CM Manish Sisodia. The MLAS asserted that they would not leave unless all of them are given an audience with the LG. They also raised slogans against the LG and the BJP.
Hitting back at AAP, Baijal's office said, “Despite being allowed time for meeting on installation of CCTV cameras in Delhi, the CM and his Council of Ministers along with MLAS and one MP Sushil Gupta preferred to sit on dharna near Raj Niwas rather than meeting the LG to articulate and resolve the issues for which they marched to the Raj Niwas.” The statement added that the CM was more comfortable in making the allegations against the LG without basis and based on unwarranted apprehensions about the stalling of the project of CCTV. “The CM conveniently ignored the actual fact that his own Cabinet has not even as yet considered the departmental proposal for CCTV. It is only after Cabinet approval that such proposals are sent to the LG and in this case, no such approval has been accorded by the Council of Ministers and sent to the LG for his consideration,” noted the statement.
The statement clarified, the Committee formed under the Principal Secretary (Home) has very clear terms of reference and is only to facilitate successful implementation of CCTV surveillance.
“The CM and his Council of Ministers ignored that security and safety of women and vulnerable sections can only be achieved with the successful outcome of the CCTV installation. Without proper regulation and standard operating procedures, such outcomes are not possible,” LG'S office said.
On Sunday, Baijal wrote to Kejriwal, saying it was “unfortunate” that the public and media were being “misled” on the issue “repeatedly and deliberately”.
Hours after Baijal's letter, Kejriwal wrote back to the Lieutenant Governor, seeking to know why he was “politicising” the issue of women safety.
Chief Minister Kejriwal alleged that Baijal had set up the committee “arbitrarily”, bypassing the elected government and sought to know why he was “violating” the Constitution.