Ahead of the upcoming Delhi election, Arvind Kejriwal's AAP is looking to woo the city's Resident Welfare Associations. He has promised to provide them financial aid to hire security guards if his party comes back to power. He agreed that while the police can not be replaced, RWAs can provide basic security to colonies.
Kejriwal, who resigned from the post of Delhi chief minister and spent over six months in jail, is on the path of reinventing himself by promising a slew of schemes to gain the support of the electorate.
Addressing a press conference on Friday, Kejriwal also took a swipe at the BJP saying it did not care for the people of Delhi which is why they are out of power for 27 years. The AAP supremo also blamed the BJP for rising crime in Delhi. "BJP turned Delhi into a crime capital," he said.
The announcement, however, may have resonance among the RWAs as the hired security guards are paid the bare minimum. They have been demanding the attention of the government to address security concerns in colonies and the new announcement can be a step forward.
Meanwhile, many have also raised concerns over the announcement. Kunwar Vikram Singh, Chairman of the Central Association of Private Security Industry, expressed his doubts about the move. “In our eyes, Kejriwal holds zero credibility and so do the promises he makes,” he said.
Singh highlighted the discrepancies in the hiring of security guards who are often unverified as per the protocols.
He explained, "Most RWAs often skip proper verification when hiring guards. Out of almost four thousands security offices in Delhi, only some 1500 are verified." He said there are financial challenges as well and accused the AAP of using the issue for electoral gains.
However, critics are accusing Kejriwal of ignoring the issue for the last ten years. Now with corruption charges and anti-incumbency at its doorstep, the new promises of AAP are making Delhiites sit up and take notice, but with a pinch of salt.