Pragati Maidan Robbery: AAP Attacks LG, Alleges He Is Not Interested In Delhi’s Law And Order

The Aam Aadmi Party on Monday attacked Delhi LG V K Saxena over the law and order situation in the national capital after a delivery agent and his associate were robbed at gunpoint inside the Pragati Maidan tunnel. 
    
Delhi Cabinet Minister and AAP senior leader Saurabh Bharadwaj said the LG has been given the power to handle law and order, police, and land by the Constitution “but apart from these subjects, he is interested in every other area". 
     
He claimed there is no fear of law in the minds of criminals in the national capital.
    
"Delhi will be hosting the G-20 summit in some days. It hosts international events regularly -- be it trade fairs or exhibitions. In such a high-profile VIP area, the occurrence of armed robbery points to the fact that criminals have no fear of the law. It is not a question that the police were not there. Police can't be present everywhere. There should be fear of law,” he said.
    
The AAP leader cited several recent incidents of crime to claim the common man has lost faith in the police. "People are scared to intervene in any criminal incident because they fear they will be implicated in the matter”. 
     
He claimed “all good officers” of the Delhi Police have been engaged in investigating “political conspiracies”. “And then some of them are kept in reserve for VIP arrangements. Are police there for VIP arrangements or common man? A separate force can be created for managing VIP arrangements.”
    
He also asked the LG to carry out surprise inspections at police stations. 
    
The LG is answerable and accountable to the people of Delhi, he said.
    
"You carry out surprise inspections of DJB water pumps but have no time for visiting police stations. Please carry out surprise inspections of police stations also and issue press releases too," Bhardwaj said.
    
He demanded the thana-level committees that were discontinued "without any reason" eight years ago should be restarted.
    
"They had the local MLA, the SHOs of the areas, and civil society members and would meet every month to discuss the law and order situation. They should be restarted. Police stations are operating at 35 per to 40 per cent of their strength," he said.
    
According to police, a delivery agent and his associate were allegedly robbed of Rs 2 lakh by the four unidentified men who waylaid their car inside the Pragati Maidan tunnel on Saturday when the two were going to Gurgaon to deliver the money.