NEW DELHI, Jan 10: AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Friday announced that RWAs will be provided funds to hire private guards to ensure security in the neighbourhoods, if his party returns to power in Delhi.
Making the announcement in a press conference, Kejriwal said the guidelines on the amount and number of guards will be laid down later.
Kejriwal slammed the BJP, saying its government at the Centre has failed to control the “escalating” crime in Delhi.
Asserting that the two crore people in Delhi were like family to him, he said their safety was the top priority of the Aam Aadmi Party. “If two crore people of Delhi are hurt, I am hurt. After the AAP government is formed in Delhi, Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) will receive government funds to appoint security guards,” he said.
The crime rate has “skyrocketed” in the city with “rampant” thefts, robberies, chain snatching and even gang wars, Kejriwal said.
Targeting the BJP, he said the BJP and its central government have no concern for the people of Delhi, which is why the party has not been able to come to power in the past 27 years. “I have been assuring people across the city that if the AAP forms the government, all RWAs will be provided with appropriate funds from the Delhi government to appoint security guards in their areas. A systematic approach will be developed to ensure fairness and proper implementation,” he said.
“It is true that no one can replace the police, and we do not intend to do so, these security guards will help maintain basic neighbourhood safety. For instance, if a thief tries to escape after committing a crime, these guards can catch them. They will also ensure that unauthorised individuals do not enter the area,” he noted.
Reacting to the new poll promise by AAP, the BJP slammed Kejriwal and accused him of making “false” promises on the RWAs again.
Kejriwal’s BJP rival from the New Delhi constituency, Parvesh Verma, asked the AAP supremo if he remembered his previous promises to the RWAs in 2018 and 2022.
Ahead of the MCD polls in 2022, Kejriwal promised to grant “financial and political powers” to the RWAs with their own “mini councillors”. Earlier, before the 2015 Assembly elections, he promised local area development funds after giving legal status to the RWAs by passing a bill in the assembly. (PTI)
