Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs on Tuesday met the Delhi Police Commissioner’s office demanding that the capital shed its label of “Crime Capital.” Led by Delhi unit chief Saurabh Bharadwaj, the delegation flagged the spiralling cases of robbery, extortion, and murder, blaming the unchecked sale of synthetic drugs for fuelling the surge.
While the Police Commissioner assured immediate steps to tighten control, AAP pressed for swift FIR registration in the violent attack on party MLA Anil Jha and Councillor Gagan, vowing full cooperation with law enforcement to restore order in the city.
Speaking after the meeting, AAP Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj said, “After many years, the Central Government has finally realised that the Police Commissioner of Delhi should be an officer from the Delhi cadre. An officer who has spent 30–35 years of his service in Delhi can easily understand the law-and-order challenges of the city.”
“Today, drugs are being sold openly in many parts of Delhi. This is one of the main reasons behind the increasing crime rate. We raised these concerns with the Police Commissioner, who assured us that several new steps will be taken to curb crime and that a concrete plan is being prepared,” he said.
Highlighting recent incidents targeting AAP leaders, the AAP Delhi Unit Chief said, “AAP MLA Anil Jha was attacked on his birthday. A group of people barged into his birthday celebration and attacked him and his family members. He has lodged a complaint with the Police Commissioner. We appealed that the police must conduct a fair and impartial investigation into this incident without any political pressure and file an FIR against the culprits.”
Saurabh Bharadwaj further pointed to another case of violence, saying, “In Burari, AAP councillor Gagan was attacked inside the MCD Zone Chairman’s office by a man against whom Delhi Police had already passed a ‘tadipar’ order. Despite being banned from entering Delhi and facing multiple criminal cases, he was present in the city, managed to enter the office, and assaulted our councillor before fleeing. He was also caught on CCTV cameras while escaping. Yet, no FIR has been registered in this matter so far. We have told the Police Commissioner that if the police do not register a case, we will approach the court.”
The meeting also saw AAP MLAs raising constituency-specific issues. The AAP Delhi unit chief said, “Our discussion with the Police Commissioner took place in a very constructive atmosphere. Tilak Nagar MLA Jarnail Singh raised certain local issues. MLA Kuldeep Kumar raised concerns over drug trade and murders in Kondli. Similarly, MLA Sanjeev Jha highlighted cases related to Burari. MLA Anil Jha also raised crime-related issues. The Police Commissioner sought the cooperation of AAP in strengthening law and order in Delhi, and we assured him of our full support. Our aim is to reduce crime in the capital and ensure safety for Delhiites.”
