The verbal duel between chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and police commissioner Bhim Sen Bassi turned ugly with the police chief telling the chief minister to mind his own business.
After chief minister Arvind Kejriwal yet again questioned the Delhi police’s capabilities and demanded control over it to “set the things right”, Mr. Bassi said the chief minister and his council of ministers had failed to check corruption in the State.
“I am thankful to him (Arvind Kejriwal) for his concerns about the Delhi Police. But I want to convey that the Delhi Police will take care of itself. He should instead bother about his own problems which are in plenty. The government has not been able to stop corruption despite having six ministers,” said Mr. Bassi. “So, they should mind their own work and we will mind ours.”
Mr Kejriwal’s comments in the forms of tweets came in the wake of a survey published in newspapers that called Delhi police worst among the government departments in terms of corruption.
Countering allegations of being the most corrupt force, the Delhi Police Commissioner Mr. Bassi announced cash rewards for anyone who would provide audio or video evidence against government servants including his own personnel indulging in corrupt practices.
“With an aim to totally end corruption in the Delhi Police, today I announce a cash reward of Rs.25,000 for anyone who brings audio or video evidence of corruption against any Delhi Police personnel,” said Bassi on Tuesday.
He said presenting evidence against any other government servant would be rewarded with Rs.10,000. People can send the audio and video clips on WhatsApp helpline number 9910641064.
The senior-most officer made the announcements in the face of a new survey suggesting high corruption in the Delhi Police.
Though he said he was unaware of the parameters on which the survey was conducted, he refrained from questioning the survey. “Though I know nothing about the parameters of the survey, I won’t like to challenge it,” he told the media.
He said that if the survey was true, then there was a further challenge to totally end corruption in the police force.
He said many steps have already been taken in this direction.
“There were a lot of hassles in registering a FIR earlier. There were many complaints that people had to pay to get a case registered. We have ensured the truthful registration of FIR now,” said Mr. Bassi, drawing attention to the high increase in the number of cases now registered as against two-three years ago.
