Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has said that top officers of the capital’s police force are agents of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and that this is an impediment in the progress of the capital.
“In Delhi Police, officials in the lower rung are very brave and are doing very good work. Those at the top have become the agents of the BJP and Narendra Modi,” Kejriwal had said during a special Delhi assembly session on women safety.
Although Kejriwal took no names, it was quite apparent that he was referring to Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi, who had recently challenged the CM to a debate on whether Delhi Police should be under the control of the Centre or state.
Bassi reports to Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung, whom Kejriwal has repeatedly accused as someone who works under the behest of the Modi government.
“There are several speed breakers for us… LG is a speed breaker, Meena and Bassi are all speed breakers for us,” the CM said.
The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which enjoys an overwhelming majority of 67 out of 70 seats in the Delhi Assembly, has criticized the Centre over the brutal murder of a 19-year-old in a crowded Anand Parbat market of the capital last month.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had earlier urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to assess the law and order situation of the capital personally every week by sparing a few hours since the Delhi Police was directly under his control.
Huge advertisements had been launched all over the capital across all media outlets that had Kejriwal urging the PM by referring to him respectfully as ‘Sir’. BJP’s Delhi cadre later retaliated to these ads by launching posters of its own, questioning AAP over its Rs 526 crores ad budget.
New Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal had also recently written letters to city’s police commissioner BS Bassi, asking him to submit reports on action taken by the state’s police regarding crimes against women.