delhi

Updated: Jan 10, 2020 07:57 IST

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of ordering the police “not to take action” when a mob rampaged through the campus of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and attacked students and teachers, a charge dismissed by the BJP as an attempt to divert attention in the run up to assembly polls in Delhi.

The Delhi Police also denied the charge by the chief minister, saying it would be “incorrect” to suggest that they work under any “pressure”. The Delhi Police reports to the Union home ministry through the Delhi Lieutenant Governor and not to the elected government, as per the constitutional provisions.

“In case of a law and order emergency in Delhi, there is 90% chance that a complaint will not get registered. People have seen the attitude of Delhi Police in the last few days, when the law and order situation was grave. The police officials in Delhi are not the problem. The problem is with the orders that they get from the top [levels],” said Kejriwal, who is also the national convener of Delhi’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

Citing incidents of violence against students in JNU, Kejriwal said, “What can the police do if they get orders from the top to not take action. They would end up losing their jobs if they disobey the command.”

Pitching for Delhi’s full statehood, the primary poll plank of AAP during the Lok Sabha elections last year, Kejriwal said, “If the Delhi government could improve educational institutions and healthcare system in Delhi with the same work force, it can do the same with the Delhi Police too. The police needs to be given a free hand and the right instructions.”

Kejriwal also reiterated that his party will continue batting for Delhi’s full statehood and maintained that ongoing protests against the recently amended citizenship bill is unlikely to affect voting patterns in Delhi.

Senior BJP leader Vijay Goel said, “Kejriwal is exploiting such issues in order to divert attention from the real problems such as as air pollution, roads and public infrastructure and Delhi’s crumbling transport system under the AAP government.”

“It is funny that Kejriwal, who has had no respect for the police since the day he assumed office, is talking about the police force and its duties today. When it comes to Delhi’s law and order, AAP MLAs have actively engaged in instigating violence since the Jamia Millia protests [December 15]. It is his way of doing vote banks politics,” said Goel, who is a Rajya Sabha MP from Rajasthan.

When reached out for comments, additional PRO of Delhi Police Anil Mittal said, “Delhi Police has all along been a professional force and has handled situations professionally as per its legal mandate. It is absolutely incorrect to say that it acts under any pressure whatsoever. It is also incorrect to suggest that complaints are not registered at police stations. In police stations, there is a well established mechanisms to address complainants including women help desks and public facilitation officers to help complainants.”