NEW DELHI: Thousands of street vendors have found support for their cause in Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal . Addressing a gathering of 2,000 vendors at Jantar Mantar on Friday, Kejriwal assured strict action against government and police officials if they were found guilty of harassing vendors.

“All of you have mobile phones. If a government official demands money, just record the conversation and inform me. I’ll get the official arrested and send him to jail. You don’t have to pay bribe to earn a living,” said Kejriwal.

After a two-week-long campaign against police and municipal inspectors in the city, National Association of Street Vendors of India organized a ‘street vendors’ parliament’ in the capital on Friday. It has been demanding passage of the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Bill 2012 that is pending before Rajya Sabha for four months.

“We want Rajya Sabha to pass the bill right away. The civic agencies are supposed to identify vending zones and register vendors. Despite SC orders, civic agencies have done little to form the vending committee and identify vending zones,” said Arbind Singh, national coordinator, NASVI.

MP Ajay Maken, who was set to address the gathering, didn’t attend the event reportedly due to party work. “He informed us he will not be able to come due to urgent work. But he assured us that his party is serious about passing the bill in the upcoming session,” said Ranjit Abhigyan, programme coordinator, NASVI, said.

Till the time the Bill is passed, Kejriwal informed vendors that he will write to Delhi Police commissioner and municipal corporations not to evict vendors from their present vending site. The state government will also look into the matter and form a policy in this regard. “I’ll write to all mayors and the police commissioner. Not everybody can go to the mall. A majority of people buy stuff from street vendors. They are an integral part of our system,” Kejriwal said.