New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party, led by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, will go ahead with its 'dharna' outside Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde's office on Monday demanding action against Delhi police personnel for alleged dereliction of duty.
Though prohibitory orders have been imposed in and around New Delhi district, senior party leader Sanjay Singh made it clear that AAP will stage the protest if no action is taken against the police officers.
Kejriwal, accompanied by Cabinet colleagues Manish Sisodia, Somnath Bharti and Rakhi Birla, had met Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde on Friday and demanded suspension of the "guilty" policemen by 10 AM on Monday, failing which they would protest in front of Home Ministry.
Kejriwal had demanded action against the policemen who allegedly refused to cooperate with Law Minister Somnath Bharti in cracking down on a suspected drug and prostitution racket in South Delhi.
The AAP government had also sought action against a policeman who had a tiff with Women and Child Development Minister Rakhi Birla in Sagarpur of West Delhi over a dowry death case.
The Chief Minister had also blamed police for the way in which it handled the gangrape case of a Danish tourist on Tuesday. The Home Ministry has, meanwhile, sought a report from the Delhi Police over the three incidents. Officials sources said the Home Ministry wanted to know the facts in the cases before deciding on taking action against policemen.
The Delhi police, which came under severe attack from Kejriwal who called it a "compromised force", has invoked section 144 of the CrPC in New Delhi district, which disallows unlawful assembly.
Police maintained that the precautionary step has been taken in view of the Republic Day, though it is six days away.
"Section 144 of the CrPC has been imposed in New Delhi district. If anyone has any grievance of any sort, then they may contact the local SHO or the local Deputy Commissioner of Police instead of gathering anywhere or staging a protest in New Delhi district area," Delhi Police PRO Rajan Bhagat told PTI.
The party has been demanding suspension of three SHOs and two ACPs before 10 AM on Monday, failing which the Chief Minister, Cabinet ministers and party MLAs will hold dharna against Shinde outside his office. Singh also attacked the BJP and Congress for "maligning" the party over the issue and said it was the responsibility of the Aam Aadmi Party MLAs to help people.
"This shows their seriousness about the women's security. For AAP, security of Delhi women is a priority. It is the responsibility of AAP's elected representatives to help the public whenever there is a threat to security of women," he said.
Sanjay Singh, a member of the Political Affairs Committee (PAC), said the party is likely to announce the first list of candidates for Lok Sabha polls in next 4-5 days. "We are still in the process of finalising the candidates.
The issue was discussed in the meeting on Sunday. This should take 4-5 days," Singh said after the PAC meeting. He added the party has so far received 2,000 applications from 180 constituencies.
On late Sunday evening, Kejriwal asked his supporters not to come for protests on the event of Republic Day preparations.
He tweeted, "In view of Republic Day preparations, I urge supporters and public not to come for dharna. Only MLAs will sit. No one else should come please."
"I along with all ministers and MLAs, will sit on dharna outside Home Minister's office for the sake of women security. On holding dharna despite the police invoking section 144 of CrPC, party leader Sanjay Singh said, "He (Kejriwal) will do his duty. Let the Police Commissioner do his duty."
