PM should resign if he cannot protect Delhi CM: Kejriwal

Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal Monday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to step down if he cannot ensure Delhi chief minister's security, days after a man flung chilli powder at him inside the Delhi secretariat.

Speaking at the one-day special session of the Delhi Assembly, which was extended by a day till Tuesday, Kejriwal alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was behind the November 20 attack as it was "baffled" by the "good work" done by his government in the national capital.

"Narendra Modi should resign if he cannot protect Delhi's Chief Minister," Kejriwal said in the House which had met to discuss the attack on him and the alleged deletion of names from the voters list.

Referring to a phone call from Union Home minister Rajnath Singh after the incident outside his office, Kejriwal claimed, "I said either you are worthless or colluding".

Speaking on a government resolution seeking amendments in the Constitution to bring the Delhi Police under the control of the Delhi government, Kejriwal said 95 per cent policemen were good but "they are being made to do wrong things by the BJP".

"If Delhi Police comes under the elected government of Delhi, it will start working for the good of the people," he asserted.

The resolution, moved by Delhi Home Minister Satyendar Jain and later adopted by the Assembly with voice of votes, also stated that in view of pending such amendments, necessary steps should be initiatied by the Centre to devolve certain powers to the elected government so that it is in a position to have control over the Delhi Police.

Referring to the recent attack on him, Kejriwal said, "In the last three years, four attacks were made on me. These attacks could not happen if I was not the chief minister of Delhi.

"These attacks are not on me, but on the people of Delhi instead... Modi ji is taking revenge from Delhiites for voting the AAP to power in the city," the chief minister said.

Kejriwal also hit out at Lt Governor Anil Baijal for "creating hurdles" in the functioning of the AAP dispensation.

Talking about recent strike by DTC employees, Kejriwal alleged that the LG did not give appointment to his Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot for two days to resolve the issue.

"LG has time for BJP workers, (AAP rebel MLA) Kapil Mishra, but he does not have time to meet the Transport minister to end the strike... how would we run the government?," Kejriwal asked.

The chief minister also advised his party MLAs to withdraw their proposal demanding the exclusion of the Delhi Police from the government's compensation scheme.

Following the attack on Kejriwal, AAP legislators had urged Kejriwal to remove the Delhi Police from the list of beneficiaries of the Delhi government's compensation scheme under which Rs 1 crore is awarded to the kin of slain security personnel.

The AAP MLAs argued that the city's police force had "betrayed" the people of the country.