Amid the high tension drama that unfolded when Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his colleagues sat on a “dharna” outside lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal's office on CCTV row, Baijal said the protest is without reason and no proposal regarding CCTV cameras has been sent to him for consideration.
The l-G office also alleged that CM Kejriwal deliberately avoided meeting the l-G on the issue. “Chief Minister conveniently ignored the actual fact that his own Cabinet has not even as yet considered the departmental proposal for CCTV. It is only after Cabinet approval that such proposals are sent to the l-G and in this case no such approval has been accorded by the Council of Ministers and sent to the l-G for his consideration,” said the press release from lG office.
The l-G alleged that the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is misleading the public on CCTV issue and is purportedly avoiding constructive deliberation on this issue. After holding a march from his residence to lG's office this afternoon, CM and his aides sat on a dharna demanding that lG should meet the protesters on CCTV issue. The AAP alleged that lG Baijal is deliberately stalling the CCTV cameras project at the behest of Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP).
Though lG office clarified that Baijal was ready to meet CM, his council of ministers but CM avoided it and preferred sitting on a Dharna howevers, Kejriwal allegedly insisted that lG should meet the AAP legislators who are seated on dharna and not only the top party brass.
“Despite seeking time to meet lG on the issue of installation of CCTV Cameras in Delhi, the Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Council of Ministers along with MlAs and one Member of Parliament Sushil Gupta preferred to sit on dharna near Raj Niwas rather than meeting the lG to articulate and resolve the issues for which they marched to the Raj Niwas,” statement from lG office said.
This is despite the fact that the lG offered to meet the Chief Minister and his Council of Ministers and the Member of Parliament and had already clarified in his letter dated 13.05.2018 that no instructions have been given to stall or stop the award of work for installation of CCTV by the elected government,” it added.
lG accused that Chief Minister was more comfortable in making the allegations without basis and based on unwarranted apprehensions about the stalling of the project of CCTV.
The lG office said that the committee formed under the Principal Secretary (Home) has very clear terms of reference and is only to facilitate successful implementation of CCTV Surveillance.
“The aim of the Government cannot be mere physical installation of CCTV Cameras. Rather the objective should be on how CCTVs will be used to enhance security and safety of women, aged and vulnerable sections, how these will be used to prevent and detect crime without at the same time compromising with the fundamental right of privacy and meeting with the requirements of The Information Technology Act, 2000,” stated the release.
“The fact that more than two lakh cameras have already been installed in the city without coordination, highlights the need for a proper framework in which all CCTVs in public places installed in Delhi should work with a common objective of law enforcement, prevention and investigation of crimes and purpose in a coordinated, purposeful and regulated manner”, it stated.