Kejriwal rules out talks,
will flood Rajpath with AAP men
NEW DELHI:
Showing no signs of relenting, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday ruled out negotiations to
end the stand-off with the Centre and threatened to flood Rajpath with lakhs of
supporters that can disrupt Republic Day celebrations.
Demanding action against policemen who refused to carry out a
raid on an alleged drug and prostitution ring on a Delhi minister's directive
last week, he continued his dharna for the second day near the Rail Bhavan not
far from Raisina Hill, the place from where the Republic Day parade starts.
He ruled out any negotiations to end the protest, saying the
safety of women in the capital is not a matter of negotiation.
"The people protesting here are not Pakistanis or
Americans. They are our own people. Shinde is saying that we will we will
celebrate Republic Day but for whom? The VIPs will watch the floats and
parades. That is not Republic Day.
"We will continue our protest. How can home minister
(Sushilkumar) Shinde sleep when so many crimes are happening in Delhi? When
women are unsafe in the city? We won't negotiate," Kejriwal told reporters.
Attacking
Shinde for ruling out action against police officials who refused to raid the
alleged drug and prostitution ring, he said, "I would urge him not to back
his men but back the people of India.
"The lower level police officials are with us. A man resigned and came to join us. He had tears in his eyes. Another man who was shouting slogans in our favour has been suspended. There will be a rebellion in Delhi Police too," Kejriwal claimed.
He questioned the Delhi Police advise to them to shift their protest to Jantar Mantar.
"I am being told to sit at Jantar Mantar. I am the Chief Minister. I can sit wherever I want. Who are they to tell us what to do. He is not the Chief Minister of Delhi. Who is Shinde to say where the chief minister of Delhi will sit," the chief minister said.
Said to be having cold and running mild fever, Kejriwal was accompanied by his wife during the sit-in today.
Unlike yesterday, hundreds of AAP supporters thronged the venue of the dharna outside Rail Bhavan in the high-security area.
Along with his six cabinet colleagues and scores of supporters, the Chief Minister spent the night under the quilt on the road outside the Rail Bhavan, braving the cold winter.
Some of his supporters spent the night singing and raising slogans around a bonfire.
He objected to the Delhi Police ordering closure of some Metro stations close to the protest site.
"Shinde has closed the metro stations. I had told the metro officials to run the metro. They said they cannot do it as Delhi Police has closed it. Shinde is causing inconvenience not us. He has closed all of Delhi and metro. There are very few of our protestors here," he said.
Kejriwal said politics will now be run by these unconventional methods.
Criticising Shinde, Kejriwal said the Home Minister had "suspended" a number of policemen after some people barged into his residence few months back but no action is taken if women are harassed.
"He (Shinde) is saying that we will celebrate Republic Day but for whom? The VIPS will watch the parades. That is not Republic Day celebration.
"Someone was telling me that a window was broken by protestors at Shinde's residence few months ago.12 policemen were suspended. When a woman is raped, he says we will get an inquiry done but won't suspend the police," he charged.
"A woman was burnt but police is not arresting anyone as they will first get an inquiry done. R K Singh was right in saying that it is money which reaches the top," he said.
Asking Shinde to support the common man's cause, the chief minister claimed that there will be "rebellion" in Delhi Police as lower level police officials were with AAP.
"A man resigned and came to join us. He had tears in his eyes. Another man who was shouting slogans in our favour was suspended.There will be a rebellion in Delhi Police too," he said.
Coming down hard on the home minister, Kejriwal also accused him of trying to "run" Delhi and justified his protest, saying political discourse in the country has undergone a change.
"We were elected by the people.They approach us. We asked Shinde in a meeting if people approach him when women are raped or burnt.He said 'no'. But people come to us and ask what are you doing.Who is Shinde to run Delhi? He is beginning to think he is the chief minister of Delhi," he alleged.
"Politics will now be run by these unconventional methods. The political discourse of India has changed forever now. This is democracy," he said.
Kejriwal blamed Shinde for the inconvenience caused to people due to closing down of a number of Metro stations around central Delhi.
"Shinde has closed the metro stations.I had told metro officials to run the metro. They said they cannot do it as Delhi Police has closed them. Shinde is causing inconvenience not only to us but also to the general public.He has closed the Metro stations," he said.
"The lower level police officials are with us. A man resigned and came to join us. He had tears in his eyes. Another man who was shouting slogans in our favour has been suspended. There will be a rebellion in Delhi Police too," Kejriwal claimed.
He questioned the Delhi Police advise to them to shift their protest to Jantar Mantar.
"I am being told to sit at Jantar Mantar. I am the Chief Minister. I can sit wherever I want. Who are they to tell us what to do. He is not the Chief Minister of Delhi. Who is Shinde to say where the chief minister of Delhi will sit," the chief minister said.
Said to be having cold and running mild fever, Kejriwal was accompanied by his wife during the sit-in today.
Unlike yesterday, hundreds of AAP supporters thronged the venue of the dharna outside Rail Bhavan in the high-security area.
Along with his six cabinet colleagues and scores of supporters, the Chief Minister spent the night under the quilt on the road outside the Rail Bhavan, braving the cold winter.
Some of his supporters spent the night singing and raising slogans around a bonfire.
He objected to the Delhi Police ordering closure of some Metro stations close to the protest site.
"Shinde has closed the metro stations. I had told the metro officials to run the metro. They said they cannot do it as Delhi Police has closed it. Shinde is causing inconvenience not us. He has closed all of Delhi and metro. There are very few of our protestors here," he said.
Kejriwal said politics will now be run by these unconventional methods.
Criticising Shinde, Kejriwal said the Home Minister had "suspended" a number of policemen after some people barged into his residence few months back but no action is taken if women are harassed.
"He (Shinde) is saying that we will celebrate Republic Day but for whom? The VIPS will watch the parades. That is not Republic Day celebration.
"Someone was telling me that a window was broken by protestors at Shinde's residence few months ago.12 policemen were suspended. When a woman is raped, he says we will get an inquiry done but won't suspend the police," he charged.
"A woman was burnt but police is not arresting anyone as they will first get an inquiry done. R K Singh was right in saying that it is money which reaches the top," he said.
Asking Shinde to support the common man's cause, the chief minister claimed that there will be "rebellion" in Delhi Police as lower level police officials were with AAP.
"A man resigned and came to join us. He had tears in his eyes. Another man who was shouting slogans in our favour was suspended.There will be a rebellion in Delhi Police too," he said.
Coming down hard on the home minister, Kejriwal also accused him of trying to "run" Delhi and justified his protest, saying political discourse in the country has undergone a change.
"We were elected by the people.They approach us. We asked Shinde in a meeting if people approach him when women are raped or burnt.He said 'no'. But people come to us and ask what are you doing.Who is Shinde to run Delhi? He is beginning to think he is the chief minister of Delhi," he alleged.
"Politics will now be run by these unconventional methods. The political discourse of India has changed forever now. This is democracy," he said.
Kejriwal blamed Shinde for the inconvenience caused to people due to closing down of a number of Metro stations around central Delhi.
"Shinde has closed the metro stations.I had told metro officials to run the metro. They said they cannot do it as Delhi Police has closed them. Shinde is causing inconvenience not only to us but also to the general public.He has closed the Metro stations," he said.
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