Delhi reported nine murders in three separate incidents since Saturday, prompting the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to blame the Centre over the "deteriorating" law and order.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the capital was witnessing a rise in serious crimes and asked whose door should be knocked for the safety and security in such a case.
The AAP also blamed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs, the lieutenant governor and the Union Home Ministry, to which the Delhi Police reports, for the "deteriorating" law and order.
In the early hours of Saturday, a 42-year-old man allegedly killed his wife and three young children by slitting their throats in south Delhi's Mehrauli area.
In another incident on the same day, a 51-year old man and his wife were stabbed to death by unidentified persons at their residence in Dwarka.
On Sunday morning, bodies of an elderly couple and their caretaker were found with their throats slit in southwest Delhi’s Vasant Vihar area.
"Delhi is witnessing a dangerous spurt in serious crimes. An elderly couple and their domestic help murdered in Vasant Vihar," Kejriwal tweeted.
"Nine murders reported in last 24 hours across the city. Whose door should be knocked for safety and security of Delhiities?"
Responding to his tweet, the police dismissed the claim that crime had risen in Delhi.
"No such increase in crime in Delhi. Overall heinous crimes down by 10% this year compared to 2018," the Delhi Police tweeted. "Similarly heinous crime committed against senior citizens also down by 22% due to preventive efforts of Delhi Police."
"Also two of the three incidents of murder which Hon'ble CM @ArvindKejriwal is referring having been committed by family members of persons living in the house. Both cases are solved and accused arrested. In the Vasant Vihar case also entry is friendly and police has vital leads," it added.
Senior AAP leader Atishi told reporters that her party hold the BJP responsible for the "deteriorating" law and order in Delhi.
"As many as 9 people have been murdered over the last 24 hours in Delhi. This is not the first time such serious crimes have been reported in the city," Atishi said.
"Delhi has a reputation for being an unsafe city and the past few weeks have been especially concerning with the frequency of murders and the recent murderous assault of the auto driver in Mukherjee Nagar by Delhi Police officials," the AAP spokesperson said.
She alleged that the women of Delhi were afraid of stepping out on the streets after 8 pm.
"But recent cases have made people insecure even in the confines of their own homes," Atish said.
Referring to a report on "rising" crime in Delhi that was published by a daily last week, Atishi said in the past one month, 220 bullet rounds had been fired in several cases of gang violence.
"Criminals have no fear of law or law-enforcement agencies. Gun violence, murders are happening in the open as the law and order of the city goes for a toss," she said.
Atishi asked who should the people of Delhi hold accountable for the "deteriorating" law and order.
"The BJP MPs chair the district committee on police and are accountable to the people for the police's failures," Atishi said. "The L-G and the Union Home Ministry are responsible as the entities (are) directly in charge of the Delhi Police. The BJP is directly responsible for this breakdown."
She added that the BJP-run Centre needed to tell the people of Delhi about the steps being taken to improve the security and policing.
PTI
