There was high drama in high-security central Delhi on Monday, as Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Ministers defied prohibitory orders and sat on a 10-day dharna demanding suspension of five State police officers.
Kejriwal refused to accept the police’s request to move his dharna to Jantar Mantar in view of the Republic Day parade rehearsal, and called upon the people of Delhi to join his demand for police reforms. He was also seen clearing official files from the dharna site.
The Delhi Police falls under the Home Ministry.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said the Chief Minister’s protest was part of his election promise of getting “statehood” for Delhi.
“The party is only demanding statehood, which we had promised to the people of Delhi, as it would help bring law and order under the purview of the Delhi government,” senior party leader Yogendra Yadav said at a press conference.
Meanwhile, the Union Home Minister told reporters on the sidelines of an event that Delhi Lt Governor Najeeb Jung had already ordered a judicial probe into the allegations of inaction against the five Delhi Police officers and urged Kejriwal to end his street protest in keeping with the dignity of his office.
Congress, which is supporting the AAP Government in Delhi, lashed out at Kejriwal for resorting to “gimmickry”.
Information & Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari said “AAP was not given a mandate by the people of Delhi to create anarchy. It’s high time AAP makes the transition from being agitators to administrators.”
Senior BJP leader, Arun Jaitley, tweeted: “Did the AAP form a Government to wreck the system from within?”
‘Double standards’ But, AAP’s Yogendra Yadav flayed both Congress and BJP for having “double standards”.
“Both the parties had the agenda of striving for full statehood for Delhi in their manifesto in the Assembly elections… If that is the case, then why doesn’t BJP come and support the Chief Minister with their MLAs?” he said.
Amid all the political muscle-flexing, working people in central Delhi had a tough time reaching their offices as the nearby Metro stations had been closed and the roads cordoned-off, leading to traffic jams.
At the dharna site, however, it was Peepli Live, with papad, groundnut, bhelpuri and tea-sellers having a field day and a cold night ahead.
aditi.n@thehindu.co.in