Home Minister's meetings mere formality, says AAP's Sanjay Singh

Blaming Union Home Minister Amit Shah for not taking sufficient action to control the situation in Delhi, senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh on Wednesday said that the meetings being conducted by the BJP leader are mere formality.

Singh told ANI: "Home Minister is simply doing formality by conducting meetings. The security of Delhi comes under the Delhi Police which is working under the Home Minister. Under his nose miscreants are firing bullets in broad-daylight, students and teachers have been beaten up on campuses. Police is not able to control the situation."

He also accused the BJP of provoking people.

"His party member Kapil Mishra is continuously provoking people. BJP MLA from Laxmi Nagar, Abhay Verma, is instigating people by taking out a march near the protest sites. On Twitter, BJP member Priti Gandhi is writing that Delhi is paying the price of free electricity and free water," Singh said.

Heavy security has been deployed in several areas of northeast Delhi in the wake of incidents of violence and arson in the past 48 hours. Deployments have been made in Maujpur, Jafrabad, Seelampur and Gokulpuri areas.

"The situation in Delhi has been terrible in the last 2-3 days. Disturbing news of houses, shops and religious sites being set ablaze is continuously coming in. Mobs are beating up even journalists and cops on duty. Officials cannot say on record that there is a shortage of forces, but the force is insufficient," Singh said.

Speaking about the measures being taken by the Delhi government to control the situation, he said: "We kept talking to our MLAs throughout the night and kept coordinating with Chief Minister Kejriwal. We spoke to police officers and asked them to send forces to places from where the violence was being reported."

"We met with the victims yesterday. Today Kejriwal is writing a letter to the Union Home Minister to control the situation by deploying the army. He has also demanded that curfew be imposed in sensitive areas," he added.

Appealing for peace, the AAP leader said: "With folded hands, I am appealing to everyone who is involved in instigating the riots, please save Delhi. I appeal to Hindus and Muslims to come out in the area and restore peace. I also appeal to the Prime Minister and the Home Minister to intervene and handle the situation."

Violent clashes erupted between pro and anti-CAA groups in parts of northeast Delhi on Sunday, leading to widespread vandalism and arson for over two days.

While many blamed police for inaction to control the mobs, Union Home Minister Amit Shah met the top brass of Delhi Police, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal and directed the police to control the situation.