AAP, BJP spar again on crime, pollution in Delhi

The BJP said that the recent criminal incidents in Delhi were crimes of personal enmity, not of extortion

Citing news reports of firings and extortion calls, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders again targeted the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) over the law-and-order situation in Delhi, alleging on Sunday that the Capital’s situation could be compared to Mumbai in the 1990s when the underworld was very active.

AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal. (PTI)

Hitting back, the BJP on Sunday said the Delhi government is trying to use recent crime incidents to wash away the stains of failure on every front of development and maintenance in Delhi, but they will not succeed in this.

The Delhi Police did not comment on the matter.

On Sunday, former chief minister and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal posted on X: “If BJP is not able to handle the law and order situation in Delhi, then how can the public give them the responsibility of the entire Delhi?”

Former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said: “So many incidents of firings and extortion are being reported from various areas of Delhi...Many businessmen are being openly threatened in Delhi. Another trader has been targeted in Rohini today. It seems that the BJP has brought Delhi to the situation of the 1990s, of the underworld in Mumbai. The common man does not feel safe in Delhi.”

“Why is the BJP encouraging goons? Delhi police used to be an exemplary force but BJP has ruined it. It is the responsibility of the BJP to maintain law and order in Delhi. If they are unable to control law and order in Delhi, then they should hand over this work to the AAP government.”

Sisodia also targeted the BJP over air pollution. “The Delhi government has made very good arrangements to control air pollution. The cases of stubble burning in Punjab have reduced significantly. What is the central government doing to control pollution aside from blaming Arvind Kejriwal? Neither the central government, Haryana government nor the Uttar Pradesh government are doing anything to control air pollution,” Sisodia said.

Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva said that the Delhi government led by Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia was trying to use recent crime incidents to wash away the accusations of failure but they will not succeed in this.

“The Delhi government has failed on every front, including pollution, education, health, water supply, public transport, and social security schemes, yet it leads in corruption, misgovernance, and luxurious development. While there have been some recent crime incidents in Delhi, police acted swiftly to arrest the perpetrators, revealing that most of these incidents were rooted in personal rivalries. While police should undoubtedly take stricter action, Kejriwal should remember that many of his MLAs, such as Prakash Jarwal, Sanjeev Jha, Akhilesh Pati Tripathi, Amanatullah Khan, and Naresh Balyan, have also been associated with criminal incidents. In fact, one AAP MLA name cropped up in a gang war murder case too. Kejriwal should understand that in the next 90 days, no matter how much rhetoric he uses, the public has already decided to bid farewell to his government,” said Sachdeva.