Around 30 retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officers have written a letter to President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday pointing out what they termed “high-headed and boorish behaviour” by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, a few days after he had a spat with personnel of Gujarat police and urged her to “counsel” him.
The signatories include former DGP Maharashtra Praveen Dixit, former DGP of Kerala M.N. Krishnamurthy, and former CBI Acting Director Nageshwar Rao.
The letter addressed to President refers to Mr. Kejriwal’s spat with officials belonging to the Gujarat police, when the Delhi Chief Minister had visited Ahmedabad as part of the build-up to his party’s campaign for the coming Assembly election in the State.
Mr. Kejriwal had alleged that policemen had stopped him from visiting the residence of an autorickshaw driver in the city, which he later managed to do. The letter states that Mr. Kejriwal had a history of such allegations that he levelled against State police deployed to provide security to him as Delhi Chief Minister, and pointed to a similar incident that took place in Punjab in 2017. “This is a consistent narrative carried out as a gimmick to influence public sentiments, injuring the morale and dignity of police forces. Therefore, Mr. Kejriwal’s comments and actions in Ahmedabad are shocking, more so considering that in the past Mr. Kejriwal has himself made several requests for heightened security. However, solely in pursuance of political gains, he has to the contrary made open remarks against protection from police forces. Such uncalled remarks and deprecatory behaviour, have serious implications on the security protocols that have been put in place for decades,” the letter states.
MS. Murmu has been asked for her “intervention” in this matter, and a request to “counsel” Mr. Kejriwal over his behaviour has also been made via the letter.
