As Delhi gears up for assembly elections, public safety and law and order have emerged as pivotal campaign issues. Often labelled as the "crime capital", the city's crime rate has sparked a heated political battle between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the BJP. At the heart of the debate lies the accountability of the city police, which falls under the jurisdiction of the central government.
The tug of war over law enforcement is not new as AAP has often accused the Delhi police of being unable to control the crime rate, while the BJP has accused AAP of failing to tackle issues that result in threats to national security whether it is the 2020 riots or illegal Bangladeshi migrant issue.
Recent remarks made by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath Yogi, during his visit to Delhi, where he accused the AAP of mishandling the Bangladeshi immigrant problem, has started a fresh war of words between the BJP and the AAP.
Alluding to Yogi's image as a tough chief minister in UP who is putting "goons and mafias" in jail, AAP supremo and Delhi’s Arvind Kejriwal targeted the BJP, in turn, asking it to take lessons from UP.
Addressing the media, he said, “I completely agree with Yogi Adityanath. I as well as the residents of Delhi are in complete agreement with the statement of deteriorating law and order in the capital”.
He further added, “The Delhi police comes under Central government control. Yogi ji should directly talk to his Home Minister Amit Shah and should guide him on how to control crime in Delhi.”
The ongoing slugfest between the BJP and AAP over law and order during the electoral battle is one among the many issues where the smooth governance of the capital comes under the scanner.
In matters of land, police and public order, the lieutenant governor is not bound to listen to the advice of the legislature while health, education, and transport among others fall under the domain of the elected government in the capital. However, these demarcations have failed to address the outcomes, where more often than not, there is room left for the political parties to continue the blame game.
