Delhi Police Commissioner Alok Verma has ordered all Deputy Commissioners and Joint Commissioners to put their heads into a discussion with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) local legislators quarterly and discuss the law and order related issues.
In an order dated February 29, Verma stated, “All district DCPs will hold meetings with MlAs of their respective areas or part areas once in a quarter to discuss points, if any, raised by them and to invite their suggestions.” He further stated, “Similar meetings will be held by Joint CP/Ranges with MPs of their jurisdiction once in a quarter.”
Verma who had worked under Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal as Director General of Tihar Jail for last one year before taking charge as the new Commissioner further also directed, “Minutes of such meetings must be drawn and be sent to the office of Commissioner of Police, Delhi and a copy should be marked invariably to the officer of the Hon’able lieutenant-Governor.”
Meanwhile, the move can be seen as a bridge to bring the AAP and the Delhi Police closer as the duo had always been at loggerheads over various issues. The other side, the order passed seeks reactions from Delhi Police officers as they had previously arrested various AAP legislators for various criminal offences in last one year.
The police had registered criminal cases against 27 AAP legislators and had arrested five of them in last one year.
On January 30, this year itself AAP MlA Mahendra Yadav was arrested on charges of rioting and assaulting a public servant with police alleging that the mob attempted to set a vehicle on fire. last year, four AAP MlAs were arrested, including then Delhi law minister Jitender Singh Tomar and former law minister during 49 days rule and current AAP MlA SomnathBharti. Kejriwal had also called Delhi Police top officers “agents” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “In Delhi police, officials in the lower rung are very brave are doing very good work. Those who are sitting above have become the agent of Bharatiya Janta Party and Narendra Modi,” Kejriwal had said referring to then Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi.