BJP trying to derail CCTV plan: Kejri
ROW CONTINUES BJP junks allegations, says chief minister Arvind Kejriwal making ‘irresponsible’ comments to hide failure of govt
NEWDELHI: Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was trying to scuttle the AAP government’s flagship CCTV project through lieutenant governor (L-G) Anil Baijal.
Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari, however, refuted the allegation dubbing Kejriwal’s comment as ‘irresponsible’.
The L-G’S office refused to comment on the issue.
Kejriwal claimed that a BJP leader had told him that the party is exploring options to ‘somehow stall’ the project by either lodging a CBI case in the matter or ‘making the L-G’ refer the project to the President.
The chief minister’s comment came just a day after the cabinet, chaired by Kejriwal himself, approved the ₹571 crore project. The AAP government plans to install 2,000 CCTV cameras in each of the 70 assembly constituencies i n Delhi, f ocusing mainly on residential and market areas.
“A BJP leader has told me that his party will not allow installation of CCTVS at any cost. The BJP is working on two options — either obtaining all files (related to CCTVS) after registering a fake case with the CBI and stall the project or the L-G referring the project back to the President. If the BJP stops CCTV cameras then people will not tolerate this at all,” Kejriwal said in a tweet.
Delhi BJP chief Tiwari, however, said that Kejriwal’s fears were unfounded.
“Kejriwal is misusing his post of being a chief minister. He never tried to reach out to the Opposition regarding the project and is now only trying to hide his failures. I have got a CCTV project worth ₹12 crore cleared for my northeast Delhi constitu- ency. Cameras worth ₹8 crore have already been installed,” he said. Tiwari added that had the BJP been against CCTVS then he would not have installed cameras in his constituency.
The matter had also been raised by the AAP on Saturday which alleged that the BJP and L-G are using sections of bureaucracy to take “revenge” from the people of Delhi.
AAP legislator from Chandni Chowk Alka Lamba said that the brutal rape of a 6-year-old in a NDMC school has only added to the belief that CCTVS were a must for safety and security of women and children in the city. “People of Delhi want their elected government to install CCTV cameras in public places, residential areas, market places and schools,” she said.
Leader of opposition in Delhi assembly Vijender Gupta said Kejriwal was making rubbish, baseless and fake statements. “Instead of fulfilling commitments made during elections, he is trying to be in news by making baseless allegations. He must tell the people of Delhi when the city will get CCTV cameras. They are waiting for more than three years,” he said.