New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday referred to the Delhi Police as his family and underlined that he respects the men in khaki immensely.
The Chief Minister also asserted that few senior police officials being politically motivated does not imply that the entire organisation is corrupt.
Kejriwal further said that despite several Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs urging him to exclude Delhi Police from the Rs 1 crore compensation policy for the martyrs, he would not do so, because of the respect he has for the Delhi police.
“I want to say something, please don’t connect it with politics. I have been attacked twice in the last one month. Once when Signature Bridge was being inaugurated and second at the Delhi Secretariat recently. Some of our MLAs got furious over the attack and said that the One crore policy should not cover the Delhi Police, but I don’t agree with it at all. Delhi Police is my family, it’s a part of my family,” he said.
“Delhi Police is not an individual, Delhi Police is not the name of a handful of officers, Delhi Police belongs to the people of Delhi. Delhi Police, especially the constables who put their lives at risk for us. There might be some senior officials who are politically motivated, but this doesn’t mean that the whole of Delhi Police is bad. The Delhi Government, AAP and the people of Delhi respect the Delhi police, I salute Delhi Police,” he added.
He made these remarks after paying floral tribute to late Constable Birendra Singh and late Constable Deepak Kumar in Palam. He also met with family members of both the deceased constables and handed over a cheque of Rs. 1 crore to them.
Speaking on the occasion Chief Minister Kejriwal said, “Not only Delhi, but the whole country is safe because of such policemen and army personnel. We feel safe, our children feel safe, and our families feel safe because of brave men in uniform like both these constables. They made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty”.
Highlighting his governments’ initiative for Delhi policemen and soldiers, Kejriwal said, “The AAP was formed a few years back. When we were not in politics, we used to think that when sportsmen of the country make India proud they are given a huge amount of cash prizes by various institutions and organizations. But when armed personnel die, no one gives them financial support of Rs. 1 crore. Since that time this idea was on our minds that if we ever become capable of making such decisions, we will not only pay tributes to those who give supreme sacrifice in the line of duty but will also give Rs. 1 crore to their family as a mark of respect,” said the Chief Minister.
He also slammed the Central Government for stalling the policy for martyrs and said, “I am sure, someday the Central Government will implement it, but they should not have withheld the Delhi Government’s policy for so long. The policy was withheld for three long years, I went to the LG and made requests in all manners, but he refused to pass the policy.”
[source_without_link]ANI[/source_without_link]