Sarojini Naidu is believed to have said that it cost a lot
of money to keep Mahatma Gandhi in poverty. Similarly, it takes ten times more
cops for Delhi Police to keep chief minister Arvind Kejriwal an Aam Admi.
Recently retired IPS officers feel that Kejriwal may be
acting unreasonable in refusing a security cover as even more cops could be
needed on duty to secure him if he does not follow the regular protocol. Also,
the new freefor-all political culture has the lurking danger of the Chief
Minister being mobbed or attacked by a mischief-monger.
Two former Delhi Police commissioners that ET spoke to, BK
Gupta and Neeraj Kumar, while appreciating the new Chief Minister's decision to
decline a security escort, advised Kejriwal to take a modest security cover of
8-10 policemen for the sake of his own safety. "I am a fan of Kejriwal for
his austerity measures. But he should remember that he is no longer a common
person but represents the authority of a state. He needs police security,
whether he likes it or not. He can opt for a less ostentatious and more
unobtrusive cover," Gupta, who headed Delhi Police between 2010 and 2012,
told ET.
He explained that around 8-10 Delhi policemen would be
enough to secure Kejriwal if he takes a proximate cover, pointing out that over
100 policemen had to be posted to secure his journey on metro to the Ramlila
Maidan last week. "1700 cops from local police stations had to be diverted
from police station duties to Ram Lila Maidan for three days as the oath-taking
ceremony happened there instead of the LG House where even 100 cops would have
sufficed for security. All this also affects the public. Also, would one like
the Delhi CM to be caught in traffic jam because he does not have a pilot or an
escort car or personal security officers? Time is money for a CM and he can
take important decisions in that period rather than being stranded in a
jam," Gupta stressed.
Gupta said Kejriwal should have a few PSOs so as to not
allow a repeat of incidents like the one involving Sharad Pawar, who was
slapped by a person in Delhi in 2011. "There are a lot of mischief
mongers...if a CM is slapped, attacked or pushed around, the police will have
to take the blame. My suggestion to Kejriwal is to, at least, take half the
security cover that the former Chief Minister had, just to ensure that he is
not harmed," Gupta said.
His successor, Neeraj Kumar, said Kejriwal is a
"politician with a difference" but advised him to let the law
enforcers take the call on the threat assessment. "I think he is sending a
symbolic message by not opting for security and his Ministers also cannot ask
for the same. To that extent, we should appreciate it but what if someone takes
a potshot at him? The cops will be held responsible then," Kumar said.
Kejriwal has been experiencing trouble boarding his car and appearing in public
as he is mobbed on every such appearance.
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