FILE photo: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal
The Aam Aadmi Party, led by Chief Minister
Arvind Kejriwal, will begin a 'dharna' today outside Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde's office if his government's demand seeking the suspension of three Delhi Police personnel is not met by 10 am.
(Track latest updates)Mr Kejriwal has demanded action against the three cops for alleged dereliction of duty.
But the Chief Minister has urged people against joining the sit-in protest. "I alongwid all ministers and MLAs, will sit on dharna outside home min office for the sake of women security... In view of republic day preps, i urge supporters and public not to come for dharna. Only MLAs will sit. No one else shud come pl," he tweeted last evening.
Senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh had, on Sunday, made it clear that the party would go ahead with its planned protest if action isn't taken against the three policemen despite prohibitory orders being in place in and around the New Delhi district.
Section 144 has been imposed by the Delhi Police from in and around Parliament House, North and South Block, the Central Vista lawns and Vijay Chowk, outlawing assembly of more than five people from Sunday to Wednesday. This, in effect, prevents the AAP from staging the dharna.
"We are a law enforcement agency... Whatever has to be done according to law will be done," Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi said.
Mr Kejriwal, accompanied by his cabinet colleagues
Manish Sisodia,
Somnath Bharti and
Rakhi Birla, had met Mr Shinde on Friday and demanded suspension of the "guilty" policemen by 10 am today, failing which they would protest in front of the Home Ministry's office.
The Chief Minister had demanded action against the policemen who allegedly refused to cooperate with Law Minister Somnath Bharti in cracking down on a suspected drug and prostitution racket in South Delhi.
The AAP government had also sought action against a policeman who allegedly had a verbal altercation with Women and Child Development Minister Rakhi Birla in Sagarpur of West Delhi over a dowry death case. The Chief Minister had also blamed the police for its handling of the gang-rape case of a Danish tourist on Tuesday.
The Home Ministry has, meanwhile, sought a report from the Delhi Police over the three incidents. Official sources said the Home Ministry wanted to know the facts in the cases before deciding on taking action against policemen.