NEW DELHI: A group of intellectuals and academicians comprising Sushma Yadav, (pro vice-chancellor, IGNOU); Lalita Nijhawan, (business woman); Sushila Madan, (professor); Shweta, (artist); Jaspali Chauhan, (professor); Monica Aggarwal, (business woman) and Dr Nandni Sharma has written an open letter to Arvind Kejriwal asking him to stop politicizing the recent death of a teenage woman in the capital.

Following is the full text of the letter [sic.]:

Open Letter to Chief Minister Mr. Arvind Kejriwal to stop politicizing the death of a teenage woman focus on promises made on woman safety in his election Manifesto.

On The 13th of July, Delhi witnessed a horrific and brutal murder of a 19 year old girl named Meenakshi who was stabbed 35 times by two youngsters Jai Prakash and his brother in front of 50 people. She was stabbed for resisting molestation two years ago. The girl and her family filed many complaints with Police for eve-teasing in 2013. The boys were arrested by Police. With the feeling of retaliation, the boys again harassed her and stabbed her. The Police immediately came into action and arrested the accused.

Mr Arvind Kejriwal YOU, IN YOUR ELECTION MANIFESTO AND 70 POINT ACTION PLAN, had promised to install CCTV cameras in DTC buses, bus stands and in crowded places as a deterrent against crime. You had stated that you will ensure that women can go about their jobs in the city free of stress while travelling by public transport. The teenager girl who was on the verge of becoming a DTC conductor probably voted for a more responsible Chief Minister. Not only she, but every woman who voted you had confidence in you that you will make the capital a safer city. You said that you will set up Mahila Suraksha Dal or Women’s Security Force made up of a 10,000 strong Home Guard and also to use 5,000 bus Marshals to prevent and deter crime on public transport.

READ ALSO: Stalker stabs girl to death in central Delhi market

Stalked, then attacked in revenge in Delhi

But we were stunned to see the irresponsible approach adopted by you after becoming the Chief Minister of Delhi. It has been 5 months since your government was formed with overwhelming majority, but no steps have been taken to implement the security measures. Instead of taking the security measure for the protection of women in Delhi, you are indulging in confrontation with the Delhi Police, Lieutenant governor and even the Constitution of India.

Let me remind you what you wrote in your 70 POINT ACTION PLAN.

Point no. 3 of your 70 point action plan states that you will act within the constitutional framework and use the moral and political authority to push for full statehood for Delhi. You should focus on the point where you undertake that you will work within the four corners of the Constitution of India.

According to the Indian constitution, Delhi being the capital of India enjoys the special status and therefore comes under the purview of the Central government. Article 239 of the Constitution lays down as to how the administration of Union Territories shall be conducted and Article 239(1) of the Indian Constitution clearly states that every Union territory shall be administered by the President acting through an administrator to be appointed by him with such designation as he may specify, that is the administrator for Delhi has been designated as “Lieutenant Governor” under clause Article 239AA(1).

READ ALSO: In tussle with LG, Kejriwal's anti-graft helpline goes dud

Therefore, it is pertinent that Delhi shall be administered by the President through the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi. As Delhi has a Legislative Assembly under Article 239AA(2), thereby empowering it to make laws with regard to matters of Schedule VII of the Constitution of India, 1950 under the State List and the Concurrent List but however, there are certain matters in which the Legislative Assembly of Delhi does not have any power to make law.

Such matters are Entries 1, 2 and 18 of the State List which are public order, police and land respectively. Moreover, in accordance with Article 239AA(4) of the Constitution of India, 1950, the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi is empowered to enact his discretion in certain circumstances and the Chief Minister along with his Council of Ministers has the power to aid and advice the Lieutenant Governor only till the extent of the matters with respect to which the Legislative Assembly has the power to make the laws, thereby restricting the power of the Chief Minister along with his Council of Ministers in comparison to the powers of the conferred by the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi. Not only in India but in major developing countries in world, the capital is administered by the Central government of the country.

Similarly the power to control Delhi should rest with central government and not in the hands of State Government. Delhi being the capital of India is the most important part of country and the power to control it should be with the Central Government. The same pattern is followed in the United States of America, where its Capital Washington is controlled by the central government.

The last six months of the new government has been very disappointing as we have not seen you transforming and evolving from Dharna Politics mode to good governance mode. In last regime for 49 days you apologised to the people for resigning from the government and asked us to give you one more choice to you “5 Saal Kejriwal”. We the people of Delhi gave you overwhelming majority of 67 seats to form the government and implement the promises you made in your manifesto and 70 point action plan. But during your second regime also, you are always seen as complaining and protesting unnecessarily and not behaving as a responsible elected representative of the people.

READ ALSO: Centre 'harassing' Delhi govt, Kejriwal says

IN YOUR MANIFESTO AND THE 70 POINT ACTION PLAN, you promised that you will work hand in hand with the Central Government and not work outside the authority under the Constitution. However you are in constant fight with the Lieutenant Governor and Delhi police and even with the Constitution of India. The women in Delhi have no love for the Delhi police as they are very indifferent to the woes of women, inefficient and corrupt. But the safety and security of Delhi as of today is in the hands of Delhi Police. But you as people representative derogate and insult them and call them “Thulla” in public which is shameful.

IN YOUR ELECTION MANIFESTO you promised good governance with Delhi dialogue. The promise of good governance will come into picture only when the ministers with clean image will be at the helm of affairs and at the top positions in the cabinet.

The law minister Jitender Singh Tomar was arrested in the fake degree case. Tomar had to resign from his post after he was arrested by the Delhi Police. Tomar was arrested on June 9, 2015 for obtaining a fake degree from some university. Police have slapped a case of cheating, forgery and conspiracy against him.

On July 9, 2015 AAP MLA from Kondli assembly seat, Manoj Kumar, was arrested and sent behind bars on charges of cheating and land grabbing. Kumar was arrested for forging fake proprietorship documents and selling a plot that did not belong to him.

The fake degree row gates are not yet been closed in the Aam Aadmi Party, as another complaint was lodged with the Delhi Police against Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Krishna Nagar constituency, SK Bagga, for possessing a fake law degree. According to the complainant, Bagga obtained his LLB degree by paying Rs. 70,000 to some degree mafia in Jhansi. Bagga, who had defeated BJP's Kiran Bedi in Assembly elections, had procured and submitted fake and forged LLB degrees in his affidavit filed before the Election Commission.

The wife of your ex Law Minister Somnath Bharti even complained to Delhi Commission for women that he used get her bitten by the dogs. You have refused to take action against Kumar Vishwas despite the complaint filed in Delhi commission for women by a helpless woman.

Even after given a second chance by the people of Delhi, your government having come to power again with landslide majority refuses to transform from Dharna Pradarshan mode to good governance mode. In the last six months, your government has not taken any steps towards women safety and security as promised in your election manifesto. For God’s sake, stop playing dirty politics on the dead body of a teenage woman and concentrate on doing something positive toward woman security as promised. BUT TILL NOW FORGOTTEN.

Monika Arora, convenor (of the group)