NEW DELHI, Jan 16:
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi MLA Vinod Kumar Binny today accused the party of betraying with the people of the city by ‘backtracking’ on promises made in its election manifesto and called Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal a ‘dictator’.
The AAP while refuting allegations leveled by Mr Binny said action will be taken against the Laxmi Nagar MLA. The AAP has issued a showcause notice to Mr Binny saying that there was no place for indiscipline in the party and he was speaking the BJP’s voice.
The AAP MLA, who was sulking after being left out of the Cabinet last month, addressed a press conference where he attacked the party leadership.
Mr Binny accused the Government of taking ‘orders’ from the Congress.
Mr Binny alleged that Mr Kejriwal has become a dictator and all decisions in the party were being taken in closed rooms by four-five people.
He said Mr Kejriwal “gets angry if people express any differences with him. If anyone speaks against him, he starts shouting”.
He said the AAP has ‘forgotten’ its ideologies. Mr Binny said though the party during the election campaign had promised to provide 700 litres of free water to each household, the Government “very cleverly” said those exceeding the limit will have to pay for the full amount.
Mr Binny also attacked the AAP Government on electricity front saying that the Government said subsidy will be given to those whose monthly consumption does not exceed 400 units. “This is totally unacceptable. The party has cheated the people of Delhi,” he alleged.
Mr Binny, who defeated Congress leader A K Walia in the Assembly polls, said he will go on a strike if the promises made to people during the election campaign are not fulfilled by January 27.
He also slammed the AAP for taking support from the Congress to form the Government.
Mr Binny also attacked the AAP leadership for failing to bring the Jan Lokpal Bill within 14 days of coming to power as promised.
However, the AAP refuted allegations leveled by the party MLA. Senior AAP leader Yogendra Yadav said Mr Binny was making charges as he was upset at not being given a Cabinet berth and a Lok Sabha ticket.
“It seems as if Binny was reading out someone else’s speech. It had same issues which Dr Harsh Vardhan raised,” Mr Yadav said.
“May be Binny is upset and angry on not becoming a Minister and then being denied a Lok Sabha ticket,” he added. Mr Yadav said the party will take disciplinary action against the rebel MLA.
The party had faced a similar revolt from Mr Binny in December last year after his name did not figure in the list of probable Cabinet Ministers.
He, however, had later denied any rift in the party. The BJP also attacked the AAP after Mr Binny’s allegations. “The AAP has not given answer to the questions raised by me in the Assembly,” senior BJP leader Dr Harsh Vardhan said.
A day after the gangrape of a Danish woman here, Delhi Government today accused the Delhi Police of being “highly compromised” and failing to ensure the safety of people of the national capital.
“Delhi police are highly compromised. If accountability of Delhi Police is not fixed, then crime and rape incidents will not go down,” Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal told reporters here and warned the Delhi Police Commissioner that his Government and people of Delhi will not remain mute spectators in case police functioning does not improve.
“After a rape takes place, then we demand immediate arrest of the culprits. But that is not sufficient. Why would rapes happen in the first place”? Kejriwal said.
Citing two specific instances of “non-cooperation” by the police in which two Delhi Government Ministers sought action, the Chief Minister said his Government sought an immediate suspension of two SHOs and two ACPs allegedly involved.
“We demand as well as give ultimatum to Delhi Police to suspend the erring SHOs of Sagarpur and Malviya Nagar police station. Sagarpur police did not take action against the family who burnt their daughter-in-law even after Women and Child Development Minister Rakhi Birla while Malviya Nagar police plainly refused to take action in the alleged sex and drug trafficking racket being run from Khirki village despite the Law Minister’s tip-off,” Kejriwal told in a press conference here.
He also demanded the suspension of the two ACPs who had come to the spot and allegedly did not act.
Reacting to Delhi Police’s statements about the Ministers interfering in their work, Kejriwal said “how can Delhi Police say that State Ministers are interfering in their work? Police are just refusing to act.”
Kejriwal’s reaction was in response to letters written to him by Bharti and Rakhi Birla, both of whom faced severe resistance from the police on Wednesday night, when they brought two separate incidents to the notice of concerned police officials at two different places.
Kejriwal said he will meet the Lt Governor and raise the issue with him.
“I am meeting Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung tomorrow morning, where Delhi Police commissioner is also coming. I am going to tell him in strong words that citizens of Delhi will not be a mute spectator,” said Kejriwal.
To a query on accusation against Bharti and Birla of interfering in the police work, Kejriwal said they (Ministers) were not doing investigation themselves but seeking police action in the cases.
“What is the job of Delhi Police? Is it not the job of Delhi Police to catch drug racketeers, sex racketeers, rapists or those who burn their daughter-in-law?
“The Ministers are only telling police to take action but Delhi Police are calling it interference in its work. If this is interference, then entire Delhi will interfere in their work,” Kejriwal said, adding drug and sex rackets lead to rape incidents.
Defending his Ministers, Kejriwal said they do not have any personal enmity with the police personnel involved in those two specific cases.
Bharti alleged Malviya Nagar police did not cooperate in conducting a surprise raid on Nigerian nationals involved in drug and sex racket at Khirki village.
Birla accused Sagarpur police of shielding the family who had allegedly burnt their daughter-in-law over dowry.
Meanwhile, Delhi Law Minister Somnath Bharti was at the centre of another raging row when he tried to raid an alleged drug and prostitution ring but the police refused to do his bidding citing lack of warrant.
Bharti and a top police official were involved in heated exchanges mid-night last night in a South Delhi locality and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today came out in defence of his ministerial colleague.
Attacking the police for refusing to cooperate with Bharti, Kejriwal demanded suspension of two Assistant Commissioners and Station House Officers (SHO) of the Sagarpur and Malviya Nagar police stations for “refusing” to act against the alleged sex and drug ring.
“All of them should be suspended. If they are not suspended, neither Delhi Government nor people of Delhi will keep quite,” Kejriwal said alleging that “Delhi Police is highly compromised.”
Bharti, along with a group of his supporters, had gone to Khirki Village around mid-night last night and had a verbal argument with an ACP rank police official after he refused to conduct a raid at a building. Bharti alleged that a prostitution and drug racket was being conducted from the building.
“We told the SHO and the police men to arrest them but they did not pay any heed to us. They told us that they cannot raid. Then I asked the reason. We called the DCP but he did not answer our call. We have also called CP but he said something else,” Bharti claimed.
The Minister claimed that local residents knew that the house was being used to run the racket. A heated argument broke out when police refused to raid the building.
Bharti had landed in a controversy after he allegedly rebuked Law Secretary A S Yadav after the official opposed the proposal to convene a meeting of all judges of Delhi courts.
He had come under severe attack from Congress and BJP over his being indicted by a court for “tampering of evidence” in a case in which he had appeared as a lawyer.
Defending Bharti, Kejriwal said the Minister did not interfere in functioning of police and was asking them to take action against those allegedly involved in the drugs and prostitution ring.
When asked about it, Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi said he will be able to react after getting details of the incident.
On whether the police officials would be suspended following complaints from the Chief Minister, Bassi said, “I will seek information about what you are saying and appropriate action will be taken after that.”
Giving account of the incident, a police official said the police team requested the Minister not to interfere in its work.
Narrating the incident, Bharti said, “When I reached the place I saw several women standing there. There were many people sitting in big cars. When I asked them what is happening here, all the girls started running and entered a building.
“Those policemen who had come with us were running slowly. My volunteers caught two women red-handed and put them in a van. After some time, another vehicle came in which three girls were sitting. They were also caught,” he claimed.
Under sharp attack from Kejriwal in the wake of the gangrape of a Danish woman in the city, Delhi Police chief B S Bassi today said the force is “competent enough” to ensure the safety of the people of the city.
Replying to a question from mediapersons about Kejriwal saying that the city is not in safe hands, Bassi said “I would like to assure the people of the city that Delhi Police is competent enough to ensure the safety and security of its citizen. Delhi police is taking every possible step to keep you safe.
The Chief Minister had earlier hit out at Delhi Police calling it “highly compromised” and accusing it of non-cooperation in two cases where Government Ministers had sought action. He had also demanded immediate suspension of two SHOs and two ACPs involved.
“Delhi police is highly compromised. If accountability of Delhi Police is not fixed, than crime and rape incidents will not go down”, said Kejriwal.
Facing a volley of questions by reporters about the accusations, the Delhi Police Commissioner merely said he was not aware of the developments as he was “too busy” and could not get time to watch television.
Two Delhi Ministers Somnath Bharti and Rakhi Birla Bharti said they had sought police assistance in two separate cases in which they alleged that the concerned officials did not cooperate with them.
Bharti alleged Malviya Nagar police did not cooperate in conducting a surprise raid on Nigerian nationals involved in drug and sex racket at Khirki village while Birla accused Sagarpur police of shielding the family who had allegedly burnt their daughter-in-law over dowry.
Replying to a question whether the concerned police officials would be suspended, Bassi said “I will seek information about what you are saying and appropriate action will be taken after that.”
Asked whether the Delhi Police has made any complaint to the Lieutenant Governor saying that the Ministers are not following procedures, the Commissioner said that they have not made any complaint.
He also said there is no conflict or war of words between Delhi Police and the Chief Minister. (AGENCIES)
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