Why Aren’t Criminals Being Caught in Delhi? Kejriwal Slams Centre at ‘Mahila Adalat’
As the Delhi Assembly election approaches, Arvind Kejriwal and the AAP have further intensified the focus of their campaign on women safety and rising crime in the capital. Addressing a huge gathering of women at a "Mahila Adalat" or Women's Court at Thyagaraj Stadium today, the former Chief Minister spoke to criticise the Center and ask the question whether the criminals who commit these crimes in the national Capital are not being apprehended.
'Women Living in Fear'
Kejriwal highlighted that Nirbhaya incident occurred 12 years back, which created a movement across the nation and a feeling that crimes against women would decrease dramatically. But instead, he said the crime graph continues to go up. Parents start worrying about their daughters going out even in the daylight. He asked that after all these years, criminals in Delhi still roam free.
Positioning the blame squarely on the central government, Kejriwal said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah is directly responsible for law and order in Delhi. He contrasted this with his own track record of improving schools, hospitals, and providing free electricity at the behest of the public. Highlighting National Crime Records Bureau data, he mentioned that Delhi witnesses three to four rapes daily—an alarming figure, he argued, that signals the Centre’s disconnect from the reality faced by women in the capital.
‘Jhuggi’ Politics
Kejriwal hit at the BJP with what he claims were "nautankis" (theatres) in slum regions in advance of polls claiming its workers turn up only during election times and leave behind the same people for eviction later. "That's why when such leaders pass off the night in such (sham) settlements," said Kejriwal as their claim to real welfare measures and security.
There should be Safe Places:
Echoing Kejriwal’s concerns, AAP leader Atishi recounted the harrowing details of the Nirbhaya case. She emphasized that little has changed for women’s safety in Delhi, especially under the oversight of a central government that she claims has not prioritized the issue.
Call to Action
Kejriwal urged the central government to either step up and provide the security Delhi’s citizens deserve or publicly declare its inability to do so. He trumpeted the success of his government's initiatives, including installation of over 300,000 CCTV cameras and pledged to continue working to keep women safe. Kejriwal also hinted at new social welfare measures such as financial assistance of ₹2,100 for households, adding that it was difficult to live from day to day in the face of BJP failure to control inflation.
