Arvind kejriwal security

News for Arvind kejriwal security

• 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.