Ganesh Kendale
NEW DELHI: In a stern message to Delhi Police commissioner Sanjay Arora and his deputies, Union home minister Amit Shah on Friday made it clear to the police brass that law and order was top priority and any laxity was “unacceptable”.
Expressing concern over the rising crime in the national capital, Shah is learnt to have warned senior cops that if crime was not brought under control soon, officials, from top to bottom, would be replaced.
He specifically warned the special cell and the crime branch to work with utmost seriousness, sources said. “When two special commissioners tried to cover up, Shah apparently snubbed them saying ‘rehne dijiye’ and ‘bandh kijiye’, indicating how miffed he was with the functioning of Delhi Police,” a source said.
Shah was expected to visit the Delhi Police headquarters on Friday but instead the police chief and five-six special CPs were summoned to Ministry of Home Affairs and the home minister apparently didn’t mince words while engaging with them for around 15 minutes. Union home secretary Govind Mohan then reviewed their working for about one and a half hours. The Intelligence Bureau director and a few others were also present.
The home minister reiterated that it was the personal responsibility of all Delhi Police personnel to ensure that every Delhiite felt completely safe. He also stressed the need for the special cell and the crime branch to be completely revamped. “Safai kijiye,” he warned. This year, barring two central agency-aided operations, the cell has not conducted a single major anti-terror operation.
To address the growing concerns over crime in Delhi, Shah directed police to create special action plans and run campaigns in important areas related to civil security. “The aim is to ensure that criminals are afraid of police and citizens feel assured of their safety,” he said. “You are good people, but you are not in sync.”
The safety of children, women and senior citizens should be the top priority, Shah emphasised.
The home minister’s directives come amid growing concerns over the deteriorating law and order situation in Delhi. Organised crimes like extortion and shooting incidents have skyrocketed and street crimes had risen drastically. Police have been citing data to claim a decline in crime trends, but on-ground situation has been narrating a different story. In any case, MHA was clear that much needs to be done to ensure the safety and security of Delhi’s residents.
