For over three hours on Monday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, his Cabinet and Aam Aadmi Party MLAs staged a sit-in outside Raj Niwas over what they said was Lieutenant-Governor Anil Baijal’s decision to stall the installation of CCTV cameras in the city.
The L-G had on May 8 ordered the setting up of a high-powered committee to formulate the standard operating procedure (SOP) for installation of CCTV cameras. With the Delhi government in the process of executing a project to install 1.4 lakh cameras, the AAP dispensation had termed the committee a delaying tactic.
At about 3 p.m., Mr. Kejriwal and the AAP legislators walked from the Chief Minister’s residence to Raj Niwas, where they were informed by the police that the Chief Minister, Cabinet and Rajya Sabha MP Sushil Gupta would be allowed inside. The Chief Minister and Cabinet decided not to meet the L-G without the MLAs.
Shouting slogans against the L-G and the BJP and breaking into song, the AAP MLAs sat outside Raj Niwas from about 3.30 p.m. to 6.40 p.m. Addressing the media after the sit-in, Mr. Kejriwal said the L-G’s decision not to meet the elected representatives was “disrespect” towards Delhiites.
For women’s security
“This is not about our dignity and respect, it is about the security of women in the city. The BJP’s L-G has disrespected the people of Delhi. Last year, the L-G and the BJP did not let mohalla clinics come up. Now, they are not allowing CCTV cameras to be installed,” said Mr. Kejriwal.
He added that AAP MLAs would take their message to the public by holding meetings in their constituencies to inform people that the BJP and the L-G were stalling the project.
‘Protest without reason’
Meanwhile, the L-G responded in a statement as well as in a tweet, saying the sit-in was a “protest without reason”. Mr. Baijal said no proposal for the installation of CCTV cameras had been sent to his office.
“Despite agreeing to meet Hon. CM @ArvindKejriwal with his Ministers & Hon. MP although my yesterday’s letter had clarified that no proposal for installation of CCTVs has been recd nor I hv issued any orders to stall/stop award of work, Hon. CM prefers to “protest without reason,”” Mr. Baijal tweeted.
The Raj Niwas statement reiterated that “no instructions have been given to stall or stop the award of work for installation of CCTV by the elected government.” The Chief Minister was, according to the statement, “more comfortable in making the allegations” against the L-G “without basis and based on unwarranted apprehensions” about the stalling of the project.
“The Chief Minister conveniently ignored the actual fact that his own Cabinet has not even as yet considered the departmental proposal for CCTVs. It is only after Cabinet approval that such proposals are sent to the LG and in this case no such approval has been accorded by the Council of Ministers and sent to the LG for his consideration,” the statement said.
The aim of the government, the statement said further, cannot be “mere physical installation of CCTV cameras” and the objective should be to see how these can be used to enhance security and safety of women, aged and vulnerable sections...prevent and detect crime without at the same time compromising with the fundamental right of privacy and meeting with the requirements of The Information Technology Act, 2000.
L-G’s statement
“The fact that more than two lakh cameras have already been installed in the city without coordination, highlights the need for a proper framework in which all CCTVs in public places installed in Delhi should work with a common objective of law enforcement, prevention and investigation of crimes and purpose in a coordinated, purposeful and regulated manner,” the statement said.
The L-G, the statement added, “reiterates that safety of women, aged and children is the highest priority...”
