The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has lambasted Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) V.K. Saxena, for the city’s worsening law and order situation. Senior AAP leader Reena Gupta asserted that if the LG cannot ensure safety for Delhi’s residents, he should cede control to CM Arvind Kejriwal. Highlighting alarming statistics, the AAP leader noted a surge in crimes, including 20 murders in East Delhi over the past three months and daily reports of thefts, kidnappings, and rapes. She condemned the BJP-led Centre for slashing the Delhi Police budget by ₹531 crores and leaving 14,000 police posts vacant, prioritizing VIP duties over public safety. Reena Gupta urged the LG to hand over security responsibility to CM Arvind Kejriwal, who has effectively bolstered security through initiatives like CCTV installations and bus marshals, to restore order in the capital.
Senior AAP leader Reena Gupta said in a press conference at the party headquarters on Saturday that according to media reports, 20 murders have taken place in East Delhi in the last 3 months. These heinous crimes have taken place every day in some or the other area across the Yamuna. One crime has even been captured on CCTV cameras. A few weeks ago, a murder was committed in broad daylight by barging inside the GTB hospital. Reading these incidents in media reports seems like the story of a TV show.
“Earlier, Chambal was nefarious for murder and robbery incidents, but today these incidents are not happening in Chambal, but in the country’s capital, Delhi. The law and order of Delhi is directly under the Central Government and the LG. He has been handling the law and order of Delhi for the last 28 months. In these two years, the law and order situation in Delhi has gone from bad to worse,” she added.
The AAP leader continued, “Last year, a survey of 19 cities of the country was conducted, in which Delhi was declared the most unsafe metro city of the country. According to the data of NCRB, 23 theft incidents took place in Delhi every day last year. Cases of kidnapping come to light every day. At least 3 rape cases take place in Delhi every day. Delhi is also called the ‘Rape Capital of the World’. Today Delhi stands at the top in all crimes, ranging from theft, murder, kidnapping, rape to gang war.”
She said that any educated officer or governor, seeing this condition of Delhi, will think that some concrete steps should be taken. But the LG of Delhi is not doing anything of that sort. On the contrary, the central government has reduced the budget of Delhi Police by ₹531 crores. That is, while on one hand, Delhi is being described as the most unsafe city, on the other hand, incidents of theft and stabbing are happening in broad daylight. In such a situation, a good Union Home Minister and Finance Minister would have thought about the police and law and order in Delhi. Delhi Police comes under the BJP government at the Centre and Home Minister Amit Shah, but they have done nothing to make Delhi safe.
Reena Gupta said that till several years ago, a beat constable was deployed in every area of Delhi. The sound of beat constables’ patrolling was heard at night. But now there is nothing like that, because 14,000 posts are lying vacant in Delhi Police. That means Home Minister Amit Shah and LG V.K. Saxena have decided that they will not rest until they make Delhi the capital of loot, murder and rape. They neither have the intention to fill the vacant posts of Delhi Police nor to increase the budget of Delhi Police.
“Last year, a rape case was reported in Kanjhawala. In that incident, even after calling PCR 22 times, no police personnel reached there. Because on one hand, so many posts of Delhi Police are lying vacant and the remaining police are either engaged in VIP security or to fabricate false cases against AAP MLAs and workers. In such a situation, the common people of Delhi are dependent on God because you keep calling, but the PCR van does not reach you at the time of need. This is the reason why all the RWAs of Delhi have kept their own security personnels,” said the senior AAP leader.
She mentioned, “Every year, Delhiites pay ₹2.32 lakh crores tax to the central government, but despite this, if it is not able to provide security to the people of Delhi, then what is the need for us to pay this tax to the central government? Why should we not deploy security personnel for ourselves from our ₹2.32 lakh crores tax?”
Reena Gupta added that these incidents are coming to light only because Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal has installed CCTV cameras in every nook and corner of Delhi. Recently, an incident was captured on CCTV when a witness of a case was murdered in front of the camera. But these criminals know that even after being captured on CCTV cameras, Delhi Police cannot do anything to them. In most of the cases, Delhi Police is not able to catch anyone.
“When such news about Delhi is published in national and international newspapers, not only Delhi’s name but also our country’s name gets defamed. Foreign investors also shy away from investing in the country, because if a country cannot protect its capital, then why invest there?”, she stated.
The senior AAP leader asserted that if the LG is not able to handle the law and order of Delhi, then he should leave this job and give the responsibility to the Delhi government. We are already doing a lot of good work. We can also provide security to the people of Delhi. We have also worked in this direction. Arvind Kejriwal has installed more CCTV cameras in every nook and corner of Delhi than in London and New York. Marshalls have been deployed in buses. Dark spots have been reduced. This is how we can better protect Delhi.
“Delhiites will not tolerate incidents of crime every day. Many people say that the elderly have stopped going out of the house. People have stopped going for walks, because women have a fear that if they go out in the park or on the road, someone might pull their chain. There is a fear among people that despite being captured in CCTV cameras, criminals are not being caught. This has angered the people of Delhi,” Reena Gupta asserted.
“Home Minister Amit Shah and the LG should take cognizance of this and fill 14,000 vacant posts in Delhi Police as soon as possible and increase the budget of Delhi Police. Also, the number of PCR vans of Delhi Police should also be increased, so that if someone dials the number of PCR vans in trouble, that person should be assured that the PCR van will reach at the time of need,” Reena Gupta concluded.