Delhi’s chief minister Arvind Kejriwal told his supporters to end anti-police protests that erupted in violence on Tuesday, saying the force had promised to take action over his accusations of negligence by officers.
A two-day sit-in led by Kejriwal in the heart of the capital triggered clashes between demonstrators and police and drew attention to the radical street politics of the former activist who is now shaking up a national election.
Delhi police said they had agreed to send two officers on leave who were at the centre of his allegations, to defuse the situation.
“The people of Delhi have won,” Kejriwal told reporters, though his demands for the suspension of officers and shifting the central government-run force to his control were not met.
Earlier, television images showed a group of police punching and kicking one man after protesters toppled a barricade and surged through police lines. Other officers beat fallen protesters with sticks.
The clashes subsided quickly but prompted criticism that Kejriwal’s style of campaigning was irresponsible and inflammatory. The standoff has been a headache for the central government as it prepares for the Republic Day parade on Sunday near the protest site, close to where top ministries are located.
The former anti-corruption activist was elected in December on promises of fixing a strong of problems faced by residents of the chaotic city of 16 million people.
The sit-in came just over a year after thousands of Delhi residents took to the streets to protest against the gang-rape of a trainee physiotherapist.
Kejriwal’s one-year-old Aam Aadmi Party is trying to take advantage of its success in Delhi to build a national presence ahead of a national election due by May.
Kejriwal launched the sit-in demonstration to protest against alleged inaction against crime by the city’s police force, and spent the night sleeping outside at the protest site.
One of the officers sent on leave was in charge in the tourist area of Delhi where a Danish woman was allegedly gang-raped last week.
“This is an important step towards making the Delhi police accountable to the people of Delhi and the elected government of Delhi,” Kejriwal told reporters.
Source: IANS