Following the withdrawal of the Punjab Police component from AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal’s security detail, the Punjab and Delhi Chief Ministers have raised concerns with the Election Commission of India (ECI), alleging that lapses in his security are part of a calculated pattern aimed at jeopardizing his safety.
Addressing a joint press conference, Atishi and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann accused the BJP-led central government of conspiring to harm Kejriwal.
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They claimed that the Delhi Police, which operates under the Centre and is responsible for Kejriwal’s security, has failed to act appropriately during recent attempts to attack him.
Atishi alleged, “Has it ever happened in our country that a person with Z+ security is repeatedly attacked, and the police neither intervene nor apprehend the attackers? BJP and Amit Shah want to eliminate Arvind Kejriwal by any means.”
The AAP leaders urged the poll panel to restore the Punjab Police component in Kejriwal’s security detail, stating that his life is at risk without it.
They also demanded a comprehensive review of his security arrangements and called for robust measures to ensure his safety.
The CMs further alleged that the inaction of the Delhi Police during repeated attacks on Kejriwal, combined with the withdrawal of Punjab Police from his security detail, indicates a deliberate attempt to undermine his safety.
“This is not just a threat to Kejriwal’s life but a direct assault on democracy,” they asserted.
AAP leaders expressed distrust in the Delhi Police due to its control by the central government, accusing the BJP of indulging in “dirty politics” ahead of the polls by orchestrating the removal of the Punjab Police from Kejriwal’s security.
Mann alleged that the Delhi Police has avoided filing FIRs regarding attacks on Kejriwal, claiming this was done to intimidate him into refraining from active campaigning.
The Punjab CM also claimed that his state’s police had credible intelligence of threats to Kejriwal in both Delhi and Punjab.
He stated that Punjab Police had thwarted several attempts to attack Kejriwal, many of which were not publicized, and suggested that the BJP’s actions to remove Punjab Police from Kejriwal’s security detail were deliberate.
