‘They’re given orders from above’: Kejriwal seeks control over Delhi Police

Arvind Kejriwal indirectly criticised the BJP ruled Centre and also the Delhi Police for not acting when mobs attacked students and teachers of JNU despite the police force being present outside the campus at that time.

“Give us Delhi Police for two days, we’ll do wonders,” Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said Tuesday while referring to the recent incidences of violence at the Jawaharlal Nehru University and Jamia Millia Islamia in the national capital.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal addresses the gathering on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) report card based on Delhi government’s performance for the last five years, at Central Park, CP, in New Delhi, January 7, 2020. (HT PHOTO)

Speaking at his last and final town hall meeting at Central Park in Connaught Place ahead of the assembly elections scheduled for February 8, Kejriwal made a fresh pitch for full statehood for Delhi by seeking control over the Delhi Police.

Kejriwal, who is Aam Aadmi Party’s national convener, indirectly criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled Centre and also the Delhi Police for not acting when mobs attacked students and teachers of JNU on Sunday evening despite the police force being present outside the campus at that time.

“They (Delhi Police) are given orders from above, ‘Just keep standing, don’t take action’. You give a free hand to the Delhi Police, they’ll start performing well,” Kerjriwal said when asked how different the law and order situation would have been had the police been under his government.

The chief minister also spoke about the frequent strikes by sanitation workers of the three BJP-ruled municipal corporations and alleged that the civic bodies are plagued by corruption.