Kejriwal never called meet on law and order, women security, reveals RTI

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has since assuming office never called a meeting either on the law and order situation or on the safety and security of women in the national capital.

This was revealed in an RTI reply filed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Harish Khurana, citing the response he received from the Chief Minister's office, Delhi Police Commissioner Alok Kumar Verma and Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung.

The RTI filed by Khurana from the period of February 14, 2015, to June 9, 2016, seeking details of the meetings called by Kejriwal on the law and order and women security stated that no such details are available within the records of the Delhi Government.

Referring to the RTI response which he received from the respective offices after Kejriwal took charge as the Chief Minister of Delhi on February 14, 2015, Khurana claimed that Kejriwal never met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi, or Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung on this particular issue.

Escalating his attack on Kejriwal, Khurana said, "The RTI shows how serious Arvind Kejriwal is towards the law and order situation in Delhi and on the issue of women security in the capital."

Khurana said that Kejriwal always criticized the Central Government for not giving him power, but he never exercised the available constitutional powers vested with him.

In his RTI, Khurana sought details on whether the AAP Government had ever summoned Delhi Police Commissioner Alok Kumar Verma to discuss the law and order situation or women security.

The Chief Minister's office in its reply on July 6 said, "The information sought is not compiled and hence, not available on record."

Surprisingly, the Lieutenant Governor's office refused to provide any details of the meeting with Kejriwal on the issue of women security and law and order, saying: "The information sought attracts various provisions of exemptions from the disclosure of information under the RTI act."

However, the reply also says the RTI seeking the particular details has been sent to the concerned authorities' i.e the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Lieutenant Governor's Secretariat in Delhi and Delhi Police headquarter for further details.

The Delhi Police and law and order doesn't fall under the elected government in Delhi as it remains a Union Territory and has no say in the policing issues.

At several occasions, the Chief Minister has said that his government can't interfere in police issue as it is not under his ambit.

An RTI was also sent to the Police Headquarter seeking specific details as to when Kejriwal summoned or called the Delhi Police Commissioner to discuss the law and order or women security issue.

The response issued from the Delhi Police Headquarter said, "No such letter regarding calling of the Commissioner of Delhi Police by Delhi Chief Minister was received in the office of CP/Delhi during the period from Feb 14, 2015 to June 7, 2016. However if any letter/references issued from Delhi Chief Minister's office in connection regarding the women security and law and order situation in Delhi, the complete reference number and date of the same may be intimated to enable us for proper reply.