Chief minister Sheila Dikshit, after chairing an emergency Cabinet meeting with her ministers, met Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde to submit certain recommendations following the following violent protests in the city. She expressed serious concerns about the prevailing law and order situation in the city.
After meeting Mr Shinde, Ms Dikshit slammed the Delhi police claiming that the confidence in law and order machinery is shaken and steps must be taken for restoration of the same. She also urged the home minister to ensure that policemen are deployed on public transport for ensuring safety of women.
“I am no one to comment on the police commissioner. I think the seniormost police officials should be held accountable,” she said. She urged the people to bring in calm and peace before any steps can be taken. “Lieutenant governor, home ministry and the police should put in place the mechanisms for Delhi’s security so that people will feel safe. If VIP security needs to be lessened for people’s security, even that should be done. VIPs should not be an excuse for making the common man secure,” she said.
Ms Dikshit said she has given her recommendations decided in the Cabinet meeting, following the gangrape of a 23-year-old student, to the home ministry. “Fast-track courts should start functioning immediately. Cases should be settled in a time bound manner. The home minister said he is starting a judicial commission,” she added.
Slamming Baba Ramdev and Arvind Kejriwal for “hijacking” the movement, she said such issues must not be politicised. “Our plea was to have everything done by tomorrow. We had a meeting of very eminent citizens and legal luminaries. We are also trying to change the social perception,” she said.
Parliamentary secretary of CM Mukesh Sharma said Ms Dikshit has also condemned the police action on the protesters.
“The police department should not overlap the democratic system. We also condemn the violence done by the protesters,” he said quoting Ms Dikshit.