New Delhi, Jan 21: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday called off his dharna against Delhi Police after the two SHOs of Malviya Nagar and Pahar Ganj proceeded on leave.
The two police officers have not been suspended but they will report to police lines of their concerned district.
Speaking to reporters, Kejriwal said the L-G of Delhi appealed to him to end his protest keeping in mind the high security that the city will have to be put on with Republic Day barely few days ahead.
Earlier report:
Fresh clashes as protesters break police barricade
New Delhi, Jan 21: Police on Tuesday cane-charged Aam Aadmi Party supporters as they broke barricades to enter the area where Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is protesting against the Delhi Police.
AAP supporters, who have assembled in large numbers, wanted to enter the portest site near the Rail Bhavan, but police refused entry to them, making the area out of bounds.
Following this, angry supporters crashed through the barricades and 200-300 supporters entered the protest site.
Incidents of stone-pelting were reported, but police did not confirm this saying they have to verify the events.
Police said that with some 200-300 AAP volunteers entering the area near the Rail Bhavan, the crowd has swelled two to three times making the situation chaotic.
An AAP worker was injured and police was seen shifting him to the ambulance.
Meanwhile, the Congress said that they were disappointed over Mr. Kejriwal’s conduct and will take appropriate decision at an appropriate time on continuance of support to the AAP government in Delhi.
Union Minister Manish Tewari came down heavily on Mr. Kejriwal for threatening to stretch his protest to Rajpath which could disrupt Republic Day celebrations, saying they were Delhi Government’s responsibility too. “Is the central government alone responsible for success of Republic Day celebration? Are not the Delhi Chief Minister and other Ministers responsible?,” he told reporters in New Delhi, adding that Mr. Kejriwal’s actions “are a complete disrespect to the Constitution.”
Mr. Tewari’s party colleague too slammed the AAP saying “(Kejriwal) never respected the law or followed it. That is why I am not surprised with the kind of things he is doing… but first I just want to ask him that where did the money that was collected in the IAC movement go? The people have elected them, and they are watching everything”
Delhi BJP chief Vijay Goel said: “Have you before this ever seen them talking against the Delhi police. This is an attempt to shift focus from their non-performance.”
Accusing the AAP and the Congress of being “hand in glove”, he asked as to why the Congress was supporting them.
BJP spokesperson Prakash Javdekar said: “AAP wants to divert attention from its inaction against the corrupt Shiela Dikshit government and save its own indicted Minister.”
Kejriwal warns AAP supporters will flood Rajpath
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday ruled out negotiations to end the stand off with the Centre and threatened to flood Rajpath with lakhs of supporters that could disrupt Republic Day celebrations.
Demanding action against policemen who refused to carry out a raid on an alleged drug and prostitution ring on a Delhi minister’s directive last week, he continued his dharna for the second day near the Rail Bhavan not far from Raisina Hill, the place from where the Republic Day parade starts.
He ruled out any negotiations to end the protest, saying the safety of women in the capital is not a matter of negotiation.“The people protesting here are not Pakistanis or Americans. They are our own people. Shinde is saying that we will we will celebrate Republic Day but for whom? The VIPs will watch the floats and parades. That is not Republic Day.
“We will continue our protest. How can Home Minister (Sushilkumar) Shinde sleep when so many crimes are happening in Delhi? When women are unsafe in the city? We won’t negotiate,” Mr Kejriwal told reporters.
Attacking Mr Shinde for ruling out action against police officials who refused to raid the alleged drug and prostitution ring, he said, “I would urge him not to back his men but back the people of India."
Rains force Kejriwal to take shelter in car
Earlier, Mr. Kejriwal, along with his ministerial colleague Manish Sisodia, was forced to take refuge in his car as the skies opened up on Tuesday morning.
As Mr. Kejriwal decided to sit in the four wheeler to escape the rain, his personal staff from the Delhi government told PTI that he was unwell.
“Sahab (Mr. Kejriwal) has cold and slight fever. He is resting inside the car. Sisodia sahab and Madam (Mr. Kejriwal’s wife) are also there with him,” said one of his staff members.
On Monday night, Mr. Kejriwal slept on the road under the open sky while some of his supporters spent the night singing and raising slogans around a bonfire
Some Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers were seen covering themselves with huge vinyl party posters to protect themselves from the rain.
The Rajpath and its adjoining areas offered an interesting spectacle with Republic Day preparations in full swing in one corner while the other corner was brimming with supporters of AAP who were sitting on a dharna outside Rail Bhavan.
Though there was a small crowd in the morning as compared to what it was last evening, AAP supporters started thronging the venue gradually and raised slogans against Delhi Police and Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde.
'How can Shinde ask me where to sit?'
Mr. Kejriwal threatened that “If the demands are not met then lakhs of our supporters will come to Rajpath. They (the Centre) must listen to the people.”
Attacking the Home Minister, he said he will not shift to Jantar Mantar as requested by the police and the Centre will have to accept his demand for action against the policemen who had refused to act against the alleged drug and prostitution racket.
“Have the people of Delhi given them the right to make decisions for them? No. They have given me the right. How can Shinde ask me where to sit? I will tell him where to sit,” he said.
The Chief Minister also accused the police of harassing his supporters at the protest venue and said the area has been turned into a jail.
“They have turned this small area into a jail. There are not toilets here. I was using a toilet at Rail Bhavan here yesterday. Today they have even closed that. We had arranged a public toilet somehow yesterday which they did not allow to bring here. They are not even allowing food to be brought here.
“I had to go to the barricade myself to bring the tea inside. The people protesting here are not Pakistanis or Americans. They are our own people. Where will the women go for using a toilet? Has Shinde announced a war against the people?” he said.
'Political discourse of India has changed forever'
Criticising Mr. Shinde, Mr. Kejriwal said the Home Minister had “suspended” a number of policemen after some people barged into his residence few months back but no action is taken if women are harassed.
“He (Shinde) is saying that we will celebrate Republic Day but for whom? The VIPS will watch the parades. That is not Republic Day celebration.
“Someone was telling me that a window was broken by protestors at Shinde’s residence few months ago.12 policemen were suspended. When a woman is raped, he says we will get an inquiry done but won’t suspend the police,” he charged.
“A woman was burnt but police is not arresting anyone as they will first get an inquiry done. R.K. Singh was right in saying that it is money which reaches the top,” he said.
Asking Mr. Shinde to support the common man’s cause, the Chief Minister claimed that there will be “rebellion” in Delhi Police as lower level police officials were with AAP.
“A man resigned and came to join us. He had tears in his eyes. Another man who was shouting slogans in our favour was suspended. There will be a rebellion in Delhi Police too,” he said.
Coming down hard on the Home Minister, Mr. Kejriwal also accused him of trying to “run” Delhi and justified his protest, saying political discourse in the country has undergone a change.
“We were elected by the people. They approach us. We asked Shinde in a meeting if people approach him when women are raped or burnt. He said ‘no’. But people come to us and ask what are you doing. Who is Shinde to run Delhi? He is beginning to think he is the Chief Minister of Delhi,” he alleged.
“Politics will now be run by these unconventional methods. The political discourse of India has changed forever now. This is democracy,” he said.
Metro stations closed
Mr. Kejriwal blamed Mr. Shinde for the inconvenience caused to people due to closing down of a number of Metro stations around Central Delhi.
“Shinde has closed the metro stations. I had told Metro officials to run the Metro. They said they cannot do it as Delhi Police has closed them. Shinde is causing inconvenience not only to us but also to the general public.He has closed the Metro stations,” he said.
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