Kejriwal condemns ‘Jungle Raj’ in Delhi, calls for law-and-order control

In the wake of a high-profile robbery in Delhi’s Pragati Maidan tunnel, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has criticized the Centre and the Lt Governor over the city’s deteriorating law-and-order situation.

With the G20 Summit on the horizon, Kejriwal condemned the current state of affairs as resembling “jungle raj”. He went on to argue that, if given responsibility for law and order, his AAP government would transform Delhi into the “safest city” in the country.

Union Minister Meenakashi Lekhi responded to Kejriwal’s comments with claims that the Chief Minister desires control over the city’s law enforcement in order to protect his “corrupt ministers and MLAs”. A recent incident saw a delivery agent and his associate reportedly robbed of Rs 2 lakhs at gunpoint by four men on motorcycles within the Pragati Maidan tunnel. In relation to this event, authorities have made five arrests thus far.

Arvind Kejriwal demands law and order control amid ‘jungle raj’ claims in Delhi. Photo courtesy of Yadhu Krishna BP/Wikimedia Commons.

Kejriwal, whilst attending an event for the inauguration of new electric vehicle charging stations, expressed his concern regarding the city’s security situation, stating that the Centre appears to lack a concrete plan for its improvement. Referring to the Pragati Maidan robbery and another crime incident, Kejriwal questioned whether the current situation befits the nation’s capital.

The ongoing dispute between Kejriwal and Lt Governor V K Saxena over law-and-order in Delhi escalated last week with an exchange of blaming letters. Kejriwal accused the LG of hindering the AAP government’s work, suggesting that the Centre and LG are focused on obstructing the Delhi government rather than improving law and order. He then called on them to permit the AAP to perform its duties and proposed that his government be given responsibility for law and order.

Responding to the Chief Minister’s comments, Lekhi accused the AAP government of corruption, citing the imprisonment of former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and the bail of former minister Satyendar Jain. Lekhi further claimed that over 40 MLAs are involved in criminal activities, suggesting that this is why Kejriwal seeks control over law and order.