Union home minister Amit Shah with Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal at a meeting to discuss the prevailing situation after violence in northeast Delhi> Delhi LG Anil Baijal was also present in the meeting (PTI)

NEW DELHI: Home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday met Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and representatives of all political parties in the state to take stock of the law and order situation in view of Monday’s violence and requested all to rise above politics and work together to restore peace and order.

At a meeting attended by Delhi LG Anil Baijal, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, BJP MP Manoj Tiwari, Congress representative Subhash Chopra, Delhi Police commissioner Amulya Patnaik and senior home ministry officials, Shah advised leaders of political parties in Delhi to exercise restraint and not make

any provocative speeches.

Patnaik briefed the meeting on the violence witnessed yesterday in parts of Delhi as well as the current situation. Shah said the professional assessment was that the violence in the capital was spontaneous.

Interestingly, MoS(home) G Kishan Reddy had on Monday said the violence was aimed at defaming India at a time when US President Donald Trump was visiting.

Shah reassured the participants during the nearly hour-long meeting that Delhi Police was doing its job and all cooperation should be extended to it in restoring calm and order. He cautioned against unwarranted criticism of Delhi Police saying it could negatively impact morale of the force. He noted that the Delhi Police is a professional organisation and adequately empowered to decide on the amount of force needed to defuse tensions.

He also claimed the police had exercised maximum restraint to bring the situation under control.

Shah said police personnel were adequately deployed in the vulnerable areas and further reinforcements would be sent where required. He further suggested that peace committees, comprising eminent citizens and elected political representatives, be reactivated and their meetings held to defuse tension, quell rumours and ensure coordination with the Delhi Police.

Shah urged political parties to ask their local representatives to hold meetings in sensitive areas and instructed senior police officers to visit vulnerable police stations at the earliest. He added that special officers would be deployed in affected areas.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said all parties were concerned over the law and order disturbances in Delhi in the past couple of days. “We all want violence to stop. Nobody is benefiting from this violence,” he noted.

Calling the meeting “very positive”, Kejriwal said everybody decided to rise above politics and make all possible efforts to restore order and peace in Delhi.

“All authorities and the home minister assured us that Delhi Police will be deployed in full strength,” he added.

Agreeing that Delhi Police was already taking adequate action — with as many as 25 policemen hospitalised — Kejriwal said while it appeared earlier that the deployed strength of the police was less, the home minister “has assured us that enough personnel were deployed”.

