CMs demands correct,method wrong: Experts Abhinav Garg | TNN New Delhi: The Delhi CM may have called off his agitation but his clamour for control over Delhi Police has elicited mixed reactions. Former police chiefs and legal minds TOI spoke to conceded the issue Arvind Kejriwal had raised was valid but without easy solutions.While the Constitution allows Centre control over Delhi Police,observers wonder why a Sabzi Mandi murder should bother the Union home ministry,and yet leave the local MLA answerable to his constituency. To add to complication is Delhis status as a city.Being the national capital,it is the seat of the union government,the Delhi government and institutions like Supreme Court.It is visited regularly by foreign dignitaries.It houses the diplomatic corps.Against this backdrop,the security scenario for Delhi Police assumes nightmarish proportions as was seen in the past few days.The CM was on dharna near Rail Bhavan,next door police had to ensure Republic Day preparations went off hiccup-free. Former Delhi CP B K Gupta disapproved of Kejriwals demand and reminded him that the capitals police was answerable to multiple authorities.He feared political interference if the state government took charge.Everyone wants control over police.MLAs start meddling in police work,a fate Delhi Police has escaped largely due to Central control. Building his case further,Gupta said: The LG supervises the police force.There is a State Security Commission,a complaints authority.We have Delhi HC and SC watching over us,there have been innumerable instances when theyve taken suo motu cognizance. Petitioner in the SC case on police reforms,former DGP Prakash Singh,finds substance in Kejriwals demand,even though he disagreed with his means.A popularly-elected government and its CM is answerable to people on law and order,he says.There are several dimensions.How is Sushilkumar Shinde interested in what happens at Karol Bagh Then,the national dimension Republic Day is a case in point.Police must ensure such events are incident-free.A third dimension is that in Delhi the Centre cant take chances,least of all a police force thats confrontationist. The solution,Singh feels,is to divide authority and responsibility.In certain parts of Delhi,supervision of the force could be handed over to the state government.MHA may keep control of policing the Lutyens zone,VVIP security,and in the diplomatic area.If Kejriwal thinks by taking over control of police there will be Ram Rajya he is living in delusion.Let him exercise some control over police for him to appreciate the truth, he suggests. Former Attorney General Soli Sorabjee hopes now that Kejriwal has called off his agitation he will adopt means available under the Constitution.He took oath to protect the Constitution not to violate it.It was a childish move, he says.B S Joon,who retired as the Director of Prosecution,Delhi government admitted the state is handicapped in supervising cops.Sometimes its embarrassing as CM cant even transfer a sub-inspector when there is evidence of wrongdoing.Public issues have to be put before the CM,not MHA.Some amount of control is required,modalities can be worked out.Perhaps MHA can retain powers to transfer senior officers,at least the ones in the lower rung whore the face of the force,should be accountable to Delhi government, Joon says.
Posted on: Wed, 22 Jan 2014 04:53:06 +0000
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