Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal writes to LG VK Saxena over 'alarming' surge in crimes
“Need of the hour is to ensure effective Police patrolling particularly during night hours and urgent engagement with the residents of Delhi on how to improve the law and order here,” he said.
- Jun 20, 2023,
- Updated Jun 20, 2023 2:49 PM IST
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday wrote a letter to the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Vinai Kumar Saxena, concerning the latest horrific murders that took place in the national capital in the recent past. He also proposed a cabinet meeting to discuss this important issue.
“Need of the hour is to ensure effective Police patrolling particularly during night hours and urgent engagement with the residents of Delhi on how to improve the law and order here,” he said.
In the letter, Kejriwal wrote, “I am writing this letter to draw the urgent attention of your good self towards an alarming spurt in serious crimes in the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi. Seriousness of the situation can be gauged from a heart-rending fact that four murders have taken place during last 24 hours in different parts of Delhi."
He further emphasised initiating urgent effective steps to restore the confidence in residents about the security and safety of their lives. “It is high time that those entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring the safety of lives of residents of Delhi should not be seen as failing time and again in their mandatory duty,” he wrote.
He said at this crucial moment, as a citizen of Delhi who has been entrusted with a Constitutional responsibility by over two crore residents of the national capital, he is ready to provide all possible cooperation to ensure rule of law in the NCT of Delhi.
“Though I am of the firm opinion that the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report, which was made public last year, should have served as an eye-opener for the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Hon'ble Lieutenant Governor, both of whom are directly responsible for maintenance of law and order here, but unfortunately that did not happen. According to this NCRB report data, out of the total crimes against women that took place in 19 metropolitan cities in India, Delhi alone accounted for 32.20 per cent of the total crimes,” the letter read.
“Given such alarming figures, urgent preventive steps on crimes against women were required, but unfortunately for the reasons best known to the MHA and your goodself, nothing changed on the ground,” he added.
“Due to lack of Delhi Police personnel in the field for reasons best known to your goodself, residents are being forced to engage private guards in large numbers in their respective areas in desperate situation for the safety of their lives and properties. I am constrained to state that the kind of urgency required for prevention of crimes in Delhi is completely missing on the part of decision makers responsible for the maintenance of law and order here,” it stated.
“I propose a meeting of my cabinet colleagues with your goodself for a meaningful discussion with your goodself on this important issue. Police officers may be directed to hold joint meetings with elected MLAs, councillors and RWAS to suggest better ways of reduction in crimes in the national capital. Thana level committees existed in Delhi till 2013 which provided a platform for active and regular engagement between police, people and elected representatives. These committees may be revived,” the letter added.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday wrote a letter to the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Vinai Kumar Saxena, concerning the latest horrific murders that took place in the national capital in the recent past. He also proposed a cabinet meeting to discuss this important issue.
“Need of the hour is to ensure effective Police patrolling particularly during night hours and urgent engagement with the residents of Delhi on how to improve the law and order here,” he said.
In the letter, Kejriwal wrote, “I am writing this letter to draw the urgent attention of your good self towards an alarming spurt in serious crimes in the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi. Seriousness of the situation can be gauged from a heart-rending fact that four murders have taken place during last 24 hours in different parts of Delhi."
He further emphasised initiating urgent effective steps to restore the confidence in residents about the security and safety of their lives. “It is high time that those entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring the safety of lives of residents of Delhi should not be seen as failing time and again in their mandatory duty,” he wrote.
He said at this crucial moment, as a citizen of Delhi who has been entrusted with a Constitutional responsibility by over two crore residents of the national capital, he is ready to provide all possible cooperation to ensure rule of law in the NCT of Delhi.
“Though I am of the firm opinion that the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report, which was made public last year, should have served as an eye-opener for the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Hon'ble Lieutenant Governor, both of whom are directly responsible for maintenance of law and order here, but unfortunately that did not happen. According to this NCRB report data, out of the total crimes against women that took place in 19 metropolitan cities in India, Delhi alone accounted for 32.20 per cent of the total crimes,” the letter read.
“Given such alarming figures, urgent preventive steps on crimes against women were required, but unfortunately for the reasons best known to the MHA and your goodself, nothing changed on the ground,” he added.
“Due to lack of Delhi Police personnel in the field for reasons best known to your goodself, residents are being forced to engage private guards in large numbers in their respective areas in desperate situation for the safety of their lives and properties. I am constrained to state that the kind of urgency required for prevention of crimes in Delhi is completely missing on the part of decision makers responsible for the maintenance of law and order here,” it stated.
“I propose a meeting of my cabinet colleagues with your goodself for a meaningful discussion with your goodself on this important issue. Police officers may be directed to hold joint meetings with elected MLAs, councillors and RWAS to suggest better ways of reduction in crimes in the national capital. Thana level committees existed in Delhi till 2013 which provided a platform for active and regular engagement between police, people and elected representatives. These committees may be revived,” the letter added.