Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has also met home minister Rajnath Singh over the JNU issue. (Press Trust of India)
Highlights
- Delhi CM writes to PM Modi on JNU crisis, suggests four immediate steps
- Arrest BJP MLA OP Sharma, release arrested JNU student leader: Kejriwal
- Must restore confidence in Delhi Police, which failed miserably: Delhi CM
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the
JNU crisis, which escalated sharply after yesterday's attack by lawyers on the media and students inside the premises of a Delhi court.
Calling the events at the Patiala House Court premises "highly disturbing," Mr Kejriwal requested the Prime Minister to "urgently stop this fire from spreading any further".
In his letter, Mr Kejriwal -- who, along with other opposition parties, has strongly criticised the government's handling of the JNU issue -- suggested that PM Modi take four steps as immediate measures.
JNU students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar's arrest has triggered widespread outrage.
These include immediate action against BJP lawmaker OP Sharma, who had been caught on camera thrashing people at the court premises, release of the arrested student Kanhaiya Kumar, putting a stop to political interference at JNU and taking steps to restore people's confidence in the Delhi Police.
"The police administration of Delhi is directly under the control of the central government and the JNU incident shows, it appears to have miserably failed," the letter added. ""If such incidents are not brought to an immediate end, I am afraid it might be too late."
Coming out strongly in support of the prestigious university, he said, "It is extremely dangerous that the JNU incident is being portrayed to show this institution as a terrorist centre".
BJP legislator OP Sharma and his supporters attack a man outside a Delhi court. (Press Trust of India photo)
Mr Kejriwal's government has already ordered a magisterial inquiry into the JNU issue. on Tuesday,
the Opposition asked the Prime Minister to intervene in the JNU issue after the arrest of Kanhaiya Kumar and the subsequent attack at the courthouse triggered nationwide outrage. Sources said PM Modi has assured them that he is the leader of the country and not just of one political party.
Ever since it came to power last year, Mr Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party government had been at loggerheads with the BJP-led Centre - the flashpoints included the control of the Delhi Police.
Last week, on the first anniversary of AAP rule, Mr Kejriwal said just "hearing his name" was enough to enrage PM Modi. "I requested the Prime Minister to stop this daily fighting. He didn't agree. I told the PM that we are new in politics, If we make mistakes, please tell us and we will correct it," he had told NDTV.